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  1. When one binds themself to another in the eyes of the Aspects, this is a sacred oath which cannot be forsaken. The humans have the concept of divorce and annulment woven into their scriptures and courts of law, but no such law exists in the life of a true Aspectist. In sun or storm, elation or heartbreak, a marriage vow cannot be broken. If your partner lives, you may not take another. Even in death, this vow is a powerful one. To sunder it would be a grave affront to the Aspects. - The Way of the Mother The purpose of this tenet within the Way of the Mother is to preserve the sacredness of the marriage vow and stray away from human customs. Definition of Marriage In human culture, marriage is designed to create a legitimate bloodline for the passing of titles and property. The line of succession was traditionally through the firstborn son, but this has changed in recent decades with the introduction of absolute primogeniture in many human kingdoms. To have a child outside of marriage is to have a bastard who is not included in the line of succession except for rare occasions where the child is legitimised. Marriage, therefore, is a necessary part of life amongst the human nobility as a way to pass noble titles and heirlooms upon death, which happens much more frequently among Man than among the Elves. Because marriage is integral to the creation of legitimate lines, divorce or annulment is available through the Church of the Canon as a way to take on another spouse. This will usually only be granted where the spouse is not fulfilling their marriage duties, has been adulterous, or is considered to have abandoned the marriage. Conversely, among the Mali’ame people there is no concept of legitimacy and limited value is placed on bloodlines. Integral to Mali’ame families are the Seeds, which are primarily adoptive families but can include members who are related by blood. Furthermore, Mali’ame do not have inheritable titles. Leadership of a Seed is most often chosen from existing Seed elders, not from the blood descendant of the current leader. In the Dominion of Malin, the title of High Prince was not passed down but rather elected by Moot. Similarly, in the Crown of Elvenesse and later the Crown of Amaethea, the High Prince’s successor was chosen by the current High Prince rather than being passed from parent to child by way of right, as is the case in human cultures. There is no societal expectation that partners must be married in order to have children. It is perfectly acceptable, and in fact normal, for Mali’ame to have multiple relationships throughout their long lives either sequentially or simultaneously, bearing children by many different partners. Because there is no concept of legitimacy, children who are born out of wedlock or adopted are not seen as being any more or less connected to their parents. Why, then, does the concept of marriage exist in Mali’ame culture? One possible explanation is the influence of Orenian customs. Mali'ame culture saw an intense revival and return to the ways of Irrin Sirame within Laureh’lin, a Wood Elven state in the Dominion of Malin in Axios. The Wood Elves had been vassalised under the Kingdom of Oren for centuries by this point, and although granted independence in Axios, remained a vassal state. Therefore it is possible the human norm of marriage became ingrained in Mali’ame customs during this period of revival. Even though marriage was not considered necessary for the formation of legitimate bloodlines or the passing of land and titles, it nevertheless has become normal for Mali’ame to formalise their relationships through marriage. The Way of the Mother preaches that marriage among Mali’ame is sacred because it is a vow made in the eyes of the Aspects. Mali’ame should refrain from tying themselves to another in matrimony unless they can fully commit to their life partner for the centuries they will walk the mortal plane together. In the case of the Druii, this bond transcends death and follows them into the Eternal Forest. Marriage and the Aspects The effect of marriage in Mali’ame culture is that two souls become one in the eyes of the Aspects. Take, for example, the Vows of Matrimony found within the Priesthood of Orison. In this rite, the couple are symbolically united through blood and sacred Attunement springwater. The vows are overseen by a Priest of the Wild Faith, intoning that the bond has been witnessed by the Aspects. The impact of two souls becoming one is that each spouse must work in tandem to uphold the balance because, in the eyes of the Aspects, they are intertwined. The Mali’ame are not inherently monogamous. It is normal to have multiple partners, sometimes simultaneously. However, entering into marriage is widely considered to be a dedication to one partner and one partner only. Straying beyond marriage is infidelity. However, because Elven children are so rare and precious, it is not uncommon for a married couple to decide to bear children outside of marriage if they are of the same gender or if one of them is infertile. Because this is agreed upon, it is not considered adultery. In human culture, infidelity is considered grounds for a divorce or dissolution of marriage. Not so in Mali’ame culture. A marriage vow cannot be broken for it is not a legal commitment, it is a spiritual one. Therefore, it is the duty of the couple to return to the light of the Aspects together. In this way, they uphold the balance. Because a married couple are one, even if they become separated due to irreconcilable differences, it is inappropriate to take on another partner while the other is alive. This would upset the delicate nature of the balance. When one partner dies, it is not frowned upon to take another partner—particularly for bearing children—but it would be considered an affront to the Aspects to enter into another marriage. Marriage bonds traditionally transcend death with the knowledge that the couple will be reunited in the Eternal Forest or in the Aspects’ realm. Mali’ame who marry young are more likely to grow apart from their spouse over the centuries and wish to separate, therefore breaking their sacred vow. The Way of the Mother counsels to have meaningful partnerships, but not to fasten this with a marriage vow until both partners are wholly committed to taking the other as their lifemate. Too often do we see Mali’ame marrying their current partner, separating after half a century, remarrying, and repeating across five centuries of life. This is likely a habit developed from human cultures, where marriage was necessary and unmarried partners were considered unholy. Non-Aspectist Marriage Rites True Aspectists and followers of elnarnsae’ame will marry their spouse in a traditional ceremony presided over by a Wild Priest or, more rarely, alone in a sacred place such as a Druidic Grove. However, many Wood Elves have been known to marry their spouse through other means, such as in the eyes of another deity or in a court of law. In those instances, the rules of marriage outlined by the Way of the Mother do not apply. A traditional Mali’ame marriage bond is so sacred because it is made in the eyes of the Aspects rather than in honour of one another. To break such an oath is a grievous affront to the Aspects and to the balance. Marriage Rite in the Way of the Mother Many Seeds, Clans, Houses, and Talonnii have their own marriage rites. The key feature of an Aspectist union is that a vow is spoken to one another in the eyes of the Aspects, traditionally in the form of asking the Aspects to watch over and bless the marriage. Ideally, other important cultural features include a ceremony in an Aspects-blessed place such as a Grove or shrine overseen by a priest of the Wild Faith. In the Way of the Mother, the marriage rite is almost identical to that described in The Sacrament of Nature, which is a summarisation of ancient rituals scribed by Sonna Vulnrith, Keeper of the Glade of Hileia and Sister Fox. The only salient difference is that the Way of the Mother includes the sacred art of ilmyumier. To receive ilmyumier is to proudly display one’s heritage, family, feats, and calling upon the skin. It is a sacred art and one that should not be taken lightly. Ilmyumier should only ever be applied to another; never apply ilmyumier to your own flesh. To do so would not be ilmyumier but a simple tattoo. When applying ilmyumier, one should use traditional tools carved from bone or shell and pigments derived from charcoal, plants, and insects. When receiving ilmyumier, no pain relief should be consumed or applied to the skin; feeling the pain is what gives ilmyumier true significance. - The Way of the Mother If the couple are from the same Seed, or are not affiliated with any family, they should mark the other with a unique design commemorating their marriage and eternal life together. An alternative is to mark the other with the ilmyumier of one’s Seed, if they intend to join upon marriage. Erasing Past Marriages Countless years of subjugation throughout history means that many Mali’ame have been raised isolated from their culture. It is therefore understandable, especially for young Elves, that there are those who enter into Aspectist marriages without fully knowing or appreciating the weight of the oath they have taken. Full appreciation of the marriage vow means understanding that one is bound to stand by their partner’s side in elation or heartbreak, regardless of infidelity or abandonment. While your spouse lives, you may never take another partner. After your spouse’s death, you may take another partner but may never remarry. Breaking either feature of this tenet means the only recourse is to brand oneself with the ilmyumier Siss’suru’s Grip and pray to soothe the Aspects’ wroth. The grip of Siss’susu is an ouroboros design upon the wrist or neck, a snake with red, poisoned fangs biting its own tail. The meaning can vary from a branded reminder of wrong-doing to rebirth and redemption. It is often reserved for those who have committed a grave affront to the Aspects or who have harmed the Mali’ame people. For those who did not fully appreciate the seriousness of their vow, there is another path. A prior marriage can be erased, spiritually releasing both partners to enter into other marriages, but only where there was true ignorance that the oath was not in fact between each partner, but to the Aspects. This can be done only once. The person wishing to erase a prior marriage must venture into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their back and a waterskin. For three days and three nights, they are to meditate on their former marriage, beseeching the Aspects for their forgiveness. For a further three days and three nights, they are to meditate on their future marriage, allowing the full weight of their commitment to settle. They may then go forth and enter into another marriage with full knowledge and appreciation of the sacredness of the bond.
  2. ✧◉❂◉✧ The pink haired elfess had long since been feeling as though her own form was as foreign as the changing seas, that her mind was as barren and turbulent as a storm’s waves, but it wasn’t until that small gathering had formed within Pinemaw with unknown entities bearing flaming weapons did she realize how empty she felt. There was no reaction to the possible threat, no care nor investment into defending her home and her neighbors. It was only then that she became aware as to how cold she felt living among strangers and reduced to the mind numbing theatrics of the canonists. Near instantly, she realized that change wouldn’t come to her. She would need to go to it. It wasn't easy. Rarely had anything in her life ever been. She’d been born Deaf in a hearing world. No one understood. it was almost as though she’d been set up for eternal loneliness. She told none that she was leaving for there were none that she needed to tell. The only two that may truly have missed her likely wouldn’t realize she’d left until the time would come for her to return. Still, she left a note for one and resigned to thinking up some grand apology for the other. The Artisan Emporium was swiftly shut down, the gates slammed closed and the forge left unlit, gathering dust until her probable return. The house was left under the care of her two living dolls, for she knew they would keep the place up and running just fine during her absence. Then, knowing hearth and home would be cared for, did she set out. Left behind was the human-like title of ‘Lady Axilya’, abandoned was the job upon the council. Shoulders set, she moved forth, without any supplies other than two days worth of rations and the simple clothes on her back. No tools, no weapons, no companions. The elfess truly made to start from the very beginning to rekindle that lost connection, however weak, that she’d once had with her own sense of self. ✧◉❂◉✧ The freckle faced elfess, unable to truly return to where she’d been formed as a person, settled down in the forests of Elvenesse. A single cavern within a small glade, bloodied and riddled with long forgotten bones, became her new home. Once, long ago, she had found a grizzly to have taken home here, but by now, their children’s children would have long since passed. None would come looking for her here, not even Bolomormaa’s kids. A flitted thought of 'fitting' crossed her mind. On the first day, a thunderstorm left her sitting within that stench-filled cave, the scent of iron revitalized by the wash of rain. She drank from her only flask, emptying it, before leaving it to hang outside to gather the sky’s tears. She nibbled lightly on the dried meat she’d brought with her, barely touching it and instead leaving the rest for emergencies. The rest of the day was spent cleansing the walls of stone, for as much as her strength shouldn’t be wasted on such a first task, leaving her surroundings tainted would only bring back memories unwanted. And then the dark came. She didn’t like the dark. On the second day, her stomach groaned and rumbled, heard only by the surrounding woodlands. An hour was spent making a rough and wooden spear, forged only by the sharpest rock she could find upon the ground, before she turned towards the West. Following only her vague memory of the area towards the edges of the forest she found where the sea met the sands. The crude spear gave her struggles, offset only by the skills gathered from every-day fishing, allowing her a night’s worth of food. She returned to her cave then, a white-meated fish in hand, and spent the rest of the evening gathering wood and kindling, for as much as she hated the fire that had once melted her sights from her, the complete blackness that followed was worse. Piled up at the back of the cave she stored it all, dipping into her stock only when the dark started to take over. With a flick of her fingers, a click sounding in the air, and a Cerulean hue misting across her palm, a flame started, catching upon the sticks and logs gathered. Cheater. But the magic was a part of her and she’d come out here in an attempt to find herself. A meal was cooked and eaten, the rest of the night spent in total silence, flames entertaining her by casting dancing shadows upon the walls. The dark was chased away. By the fourth day, she had crafted a few baskets born of stiff fiber and wood, shoddy in work but sturdy enough to be used. She stored some berries in one, alabaster leaf and serpent’s stalk in another, and some fish she’d dried out the day prior in the last. She spent the night with a full stomach, the water flask left untouched due to the ripeness of the small, juicy orbs. On the fifth day, the berries came back with a vengeance and she spent the day plagued by hallucinations worse than those normally given to her by the spirits. She wished she hadn’t left Pinemaw. On the seventh day, the hallucinations finally left, returning to the normal tidbits that floated in and out of her vision. She was used to those. She could ignore those. What she couldn’t ignore was the dizziness that came from dehydration. The flask was emptied, the berries thrown out. She spent the rest of the night whittling a stone knife, clam shaped, with the rock she’d used to make the spear. By the end of the eighth day, the elfess had carved out a bowl from wood, her hands blistered in areas they once wouldn’t have been. On the ninth day, dizzy once more from dehydration, she set out to find a stream of fresh water, bowl in hand. When she returned, successful and ready to boil the water, her untended baskets had been raided and destroyed, muddied paw prints decorating the cave she called hers. Despite growing hungry that night, and an incident involving heated, exploding rocks, she wished none for water, the leftover liquid filling up her flask. On the fourteenth day, her arsenal of tools had expanded from a single clam shaped knife and wooden spear to an archaic set of bows and arrows, another three baskets now hung from mid level branches at the edge of the glade, and a few further bowls filled with cleansed water. On the fifteenth day, she let her hands heal and her feet rest. On the seventeenth day, she came face to face with a child of Morea. They parted ways without incident. On the eighteenth day, she found a small doe, hind leg torn half off and shredded into strips, hiding within a bramble of bushes. Despite the way it panicked at the first sight of her, exhaustion overtook it and the elfess found little resistance in her attempt at assisting the beast. She carried the doe back towards her cave, setting it down near the dwindling fire to keep it warm, and attempted to nurse it with her own supply of water. The doe responded well enough for a time and didn’t put up much of a fuss when the descendant made to take a look at its wounds, laying still when the elfess cleansed them and wrapped them with strips of her own clothing. She named the doe Riddlewart. On the nineteenth day, she tried to find some food for Riddlewart, avoiding the prior berries like the plague. In the end, the elfess tried to simply feed the doe some grass and twigs and leaves. The animal seemed to like it well enough. She spent the rest of the time stoking the fire and telling tales to the creature, reminiscing on memories long passed and people long since disappeared. She told the other how she’d learnt the meaning of family from her Maln, how she’d learnt the meaning of love from her partner, how she’d experienced heartache and motherhood and how everyone she ever knew had left or would leave. She spoke of those times she’d been kidnapped, her fears born of the torture given both by strangers and people she’d once thought loved her. She spoke of the dark and of the light and asked questions that she herself answered when the doe remained silent. She felt at peace for the first time in a long time. On the twentieth day, the elfess coaxed Riddlewart out into the sunlight, and there the doe blinked up and towards the sky, alert and calm despite its wounds. She brought the beast down towards the waters, carrying it with gentle hands, and set it within the smoothest part of the river where they both submerged. Soothingly, the elfess assisted the doe with attempting to move the injured leg, slow and eased to simply keep the limb working. The Mali kept the creature afloat, setting its head on her shoulder for extra support, and there they stayed for the better part of the day, relaxing and allowing the water to ebb away aches and pains. When they returned to the cave that night, they had both been exhausted. The elfess fell asleep soon after drying the doe off and ensuring it had taken up residence in the comfiest part of the cavern. On the twenty-first morning, she awoke to find Riddlewart still and unresponsive. The elfess weeped. Hours later, when her tears had dried and the first of flies began to find the carcass, she brought the doe’s form into the forest and buried it beneath a large pine tree as if guided by Cerridwen’s hands herself, where its body would feed the dirt and the dirt would feed the grass and the grass would feed more deer and the deer would feed the wolves. This was what her Maln had tried to teach her of. This was what the balance brought. Life and death and more life. The elfess had been privy to the process and, despite her interference, it had gone on as it had meant to. The natural form of life. This was what was meant to be preserved and respected. On the forty-fifth day, the rains started to drain from the sky. . . ✧◉❂◉✧ It took three days for the rains to finally stop, and by then, her cave within the small glade was half drowned, flooded with ankle deep water. When she stepped outside, without the risk of being pelted by bullet-like drops, privy was she to the sight of her painstakingly weaved baskets shredded to bits, torn down from their heights upon the trees. It seemed animals weren’t her only concern within these woods. Sloshing back into her cave, the elfess retrieved what little had survived before setting out to start from near the beginning once more. Tucked within her half ruined belt sat her homemade knife and beside it her five arrows bearing stone heads. Strung over her shoulder rested her weak attempt at a bow and in her hands she carried that bowl for water. As she stepped outwards that cave, she gathered up the only pieces of smoked and soggied strips of fish meat she could find floating about the area. Set over a fire near a week ago, they’d last her in an emergency, though if all went to plan, she would be able to feed them to the soil or some small predator after finding a more suitable substance for sustenance. Onwards she went, searching firstly for the river she’d so often gathered from, and from there, the elfess would be able to follow the water upstream to higher ground and wait for the floods to subside. A far fetched idea, but she had no other plan. She needed new food and water, and she would not find that in her ruined cave. It didn’t take long before her feet were near black from muck, as if she’d been wearing ankle high socks, and the closer she trekked towards running water, the harder it got to walk. Against instinct and all better judgment, the elfess continued forth, struggling her way through glop, brambles, and felled branches, until motion came forth into her vision. With a heaving breath, swiping at her sweaty brow with the back of her hand, she paused, taking note of how high the river had risen. No more were the carved out edges of a well worn waterway. Instead, cascading through the woodlands, was a rush of browned liquid, carrying fallen trees and great amounts of debris as it surged past. The Mali’s ear flicked lightly, a habit she’d attained over the past decades, as she peered on with a pinched expression. Lips thinned, she pressed forth, turned upwards to continue her path across the woodlands. The smell of the ground beneath was activated with each ascended step, hiding the sharp rock and broken boughs that stabbed at the soles of her feet. She didn’t seem to care much, for if there was no blood, then there was no need to. Onwards she went, each footfall as laborious as the last, the sucking sound of entrapping mud glopping around the air left in the wake of every footprint canceled out by the rush of waters it emitted next to. Her gaze shifted up, just a brief moment of respite within that arduous climb to peer upon a much calmer scene. There above was the sight of cleared skies, so somberly missed the past handful of days, speckled with the strongest of greenery that hadn’t faltered during the raging storm. Down was cast arbitrary shadows of which the sunlight peeked through, the forest ground illuminated with- -laid upon the ground, hacking up that dirtied river water. With a wheezed gasp, the elfess remained flopped into the mud at the edge of the waterway, eyes unfocused and brow creased in confusion. A sharp sting drew her attention and her throbbing head lofted, as did her hand, to grasp at the side of her ribs before a sharp wince drew forth from her features. Seeping through the muck that now covered her entire figure was a rivlet of crimson, the rest feeling bruised and battered. Shit. She must have lost her footing and fallen in, or perhaps the ground had given out. The elfess squeezed her eyes shut and let out a hiss through her teeth before she shifted into a seated position, careful, slow, and cautious as the pain in her side increased. Her free hand lofted, making to cradle her brow as her vision swam, and when her eyes opened once more, the slightest of movement caught her attention. A flash of fur darted out of sight from across the river. A rabbit, perhaps, for it had certainly been small enough. But then it was gone, just as quick as it had arrived. Her sights drifted thereafter, the image produced slightly blurred, and took note of the unfamiliar territory and her current situation. Downstream. She was downstream, without her tools, and bore an undetermined severity of wounds. The elfess shifted to her feet and the movements forced her pained expression to crumple further upon her countenance. Heavily, she leant up against the nearest tree, the touch of it’s rough bark doing nothing to soothe her surface level aches. She bent over, seeking to catch her breath as she pressed her palm into her side, and it took her a long moment before her chest rose and fell with some sort of rhythm. She watched, dazed, as brown water fell from dulled strands of hair hung beside her face. Long since had the Alabaster and beetroot dye faded, leaving her natural gingered brown to break through. Idly, she noted that both a dye job and a haircut were long overdue. Her head lifted once more, though the weak gaze sharpened as her form froze, chest stilling with baited breath. There before her stood Morea’s child, stood the wolf that she had crossed paths with when she’d begun the whole experience. Her gaze met the creature’s own and piercing dark eyes seemed to shoot straight into her soul. Immediately, she casted her sights downwards, for she was in no shape to risk challenging the beast. The Mali knew, then, that she must have landed somewhere within its territory, and should it wish it, she would become its evening snack. Her head dipped, submissive, in an attempt to show it that she was no threat, and watched from the corners of her eyes as the wolf stepped closer, head poised high. Graceful and elegant was the canine, near feline-like with its steps and ashen form rippled with power. Confident if an animal ever was so, it stopped just before her, and for a brief moment, the elfess feared the wolf would go straight for her neck. Its gentle breathing brushed against her cheek, and holy shit, she forgot how large wolves were. That darkened snout dipped and paused at the scent beneath her hand, as if the waft of blood had called to it. After a moment of inspection, however, the beast turned and gently nipped at the cloth on her hip. The Mali casted her gaze downwards and when she saw what the beast was nudging at, a simple understanding crossed her features. Slowly, at the risk of her own hand, she slipped her fingers into the pocket that brushed against the canine’s nose and grappled out the smoked fish she’d absentmindedly grabbed back at the cave. The wolf stepped back as her hand had withdrawn, though its form was lined only with an expectancy as it watched her movements. Painfully, the elfess crouched down upon the mucked forest floor and set the meat before her, stilling thereafter once more. The large creature eyed the offering, though interested, returned to its spot nearest the elfess. Its snout lowered, brushing against the food on the ground, and its nose roamed the surface of the meat in exploration. Carefully, as if dealing with a pup, the wolf opened its maw and took the piece of meat into its mouth before it simply… turned and shifted to trot off, away from the river. It stopped then, meters away, before it swiveled back towards the elfess, staring her down. She briefly met its gaze once more, moss-colored orbs settling on amber, before it returned towards its path and disappeared into the woods. The elfess slumped once the canine was out of sight, a heavy breath escaping her form as a look of disbelief crossed her features. Her head thumped back against the tree she leaned against, eyes finally allowed to close for just the sparsest of moments as the encounter replayed in her head. She’d faced many a creature before, but never had she been without a way to defend herself against them, never had she been so… vulnerable to a child of the Mani. It was unsettling. And it was also thrilling. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the emotions raging through her, so instead, the elfess settled on the relief that cast itself upon her shoulders. Once more she straightened, and though the wound in her side pulled with a horrid throb, she seemed reinvigorated. One foot placed itself in front of the other and, with a new drive, the elfess set out to return to her task at hand, adding the need for medical supplies to the list of necessities. On the Forty-ninth day, the elfess reached the start of the river - a pond deep enough to submerge in - and settled down at the highest point nearest it, under the largest pine. ✧◉❂◉✧ On the fiftieth day, the elfess had started to renew her stock of clean water by placing heated rocks into the gathered rainwater that had sat in the hollow of a felled tree’s separated trunk. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. She tried to clean her wound first and drank second. That night, she came down with a fever. On the fifty-fifth morning, her fever broke and any infection that had set into her wound was staved off by her own immune system and habitual cleanings. She spent the day curled in on herself nonetheless, for her stomach had long since grown hungry. On the fifty-sixth day, her hallucinations born of eyes gifted by the spirits raged at her prone form. She found the strength to begin resource stocking due to the sheer need to distract herself from the ghosts of her past. It was slow going. On the seventy-third day, the elfess had finished crafting a proper shelter and her stock of supplies had grown immensely. On the eightieth day, during a hunt for small game, the elfess stumbled across a den. Out came Morea’s child and, with a respective distance, the Mali observed it. It didn’t attack her, so she assumed it didn’t mind. Throughout the little time she risked being there, three other pack members had shown and interacted with the beast. When the elfess felt close to overstaying her welcome, she left the game she’d collected for the pack to feast upon out of a sense of gratefulness. On the eighty-third night, she went for a midnight swim. Within that pond she floated upon her back and stared up at the stars above. The figure of some sort of raptor not yet nesting glided above, its moon-backed silhouette casting a shadow upon the forest below. The elfess cried beneath the darkened skies. On the ninetieth day, the elfess entertained herself by drawing upon stones with globs of mud from the banks of the pond. Figures danced over their surfaces, telling stories of her loved ones long since passed and those few that remained in the present. When she’d finished, she decided that she should make a career of finger-painting. On the one hundredth day, a butterfly landed on her nose. She went cross-eyed trying to watch it. They spent a half hour together and in that time, the Mali moved not a single muscle. She became the embodiment of a flower for the little insect’s calm rest. On the one hundred twelfth morning, the elfess deconstructed her shelter before making the trek back down towards her original cave. The move was long overdue. That night, she was unaware of the large elk that had walked past the cave’s entrance. She’d been sleeping. ✧◉❂◉✧ On the one hundred fifteenth morning, the elfess got up to stand at the cave’s entrance and breathed in the glade’s fresh air. There, she found herself to be at peace; not with her past, nor many aspects of her present, but with what she’d learned, lived, and accomplished out in the forests on her own. She had left to reignite that connection with the balance, and though she knew not if she had accomplished it, she felt comfortable enough to continue her pursuit of it. That day, for the first time in many years, her shoulders bore no tense lining to the way they held themselves, her back entertained no slouch, and her expression contained no subtle lines of stress or unease. Out she stepped into the early streams of light, basking in the way they warmed her countenance. Beneath her feet, settled between her toes, was the tickle of grass just kissed by morning dew. Scattered over the area was a flourish of flowers, a rainbow of color once taken by heavy rainfall now returned. Trailing at the edges of tree line grazed two brown rabbits and above them a red squirrel skittered. Her gaze turned upwards and she watched a sparrow glide carelessly through the air before disappearing into the foliage. Life was in abundance here, so chaotic and yet just as powerfully calm. The Mali moved forth, going about her morning routine of washing up, drinking, and eating. When she’d finished, she shifted to return the basket filled with the next few days’ worth of food to its place in the trees, though a mass out of the corner of her eye stopped her movements before she'd made it halfway to her destination. Slowly, she turned to peer over at whatever being had found itself at the edges of the glade before her ear flicked in clear surprise. Morea’s child stared her down, amber gaze flashing within the shadows cast by the bushels of leaves above, and the elfess, stood within the center of the sunlit clearing, stared back. After a moment, her head dipped lightly out of both respect and acknowledgment, and when she looked back up, the creature was gone. The elfess subtly smiled, the corners of her lips tugging upwards at the prompting of a gentle twitch. It was time to go home. ✧◉❂◉✧
  3. ✧ The Taelu’Avernan ✧ “This guild? It's not for us. It's for the people that can't learn what we can because they're not allowed the same experiences. Our writings? Our research? That's for them.” - Axilya, Founder of the Taelu’Avernan History: Founded in the struggles of living in a world meant solely for hearing people and heavily inspired by the familial values of the Vale of Nevaehlen, the culture of past Mali’Ame seeds, as well as the passion and pursuit of adventure, did such an idea come to fruition. To take the best of what has been priorly learnt, experienced, and observed and meld it into something new that would grow and develop its own traditions and values as its members do, in order to share knowledge and information about any and all subjects with the world. Created by the deaf elfess known as Axilya and after much turmoil in finding a place to properly settle within, the Taelu’Avernan now resides within the welcoming arms of the home of the Father Circle and ‘Ame culture. Values: At its core, the Taelu’Avernan are a gathering of peoples bound to or respectful of Aspectism that focus upon the adventure of experience, knowledge, and growth; firstly of the self, before following with family, community, and lastly, the world. The Taelu’Avernan are a close knit group, more akin to family than anything else. None shall be left behind or forgotten and everything they do, they do together. The safety and livelihood of each member is just as important as the next and it’s more than expected that guild members look out for each other both on and off the expedition-field. Beyond that, however, the Taelu’Avernan are a group of adventurers that wish to assist in bringing knowledge to those that are unable to learn about or experience a specific subject - no matter how grand and dangerous the task or how small and trivial the research may seem - due to a disability, position in life, way of living, and/or etcetera. The Taelu’Avernan aim to leave as little impact upon the unexplored, choosing instead to learn and leave rather than mindlessly kill and take whenever possible. There is never an action performed by the members of the guild that bears no reason. In addition, so long as it is possible to research, the Taelu’Avernan are willing to give it a shot. Though the guild prides itself upon its ‘Ame ways, one need not be a Mali’Ame to join. They must simply respect the culture, be within the good graces of the Vale of Nevaehlen, and hold a care for nature’s balance. Religion: The Taelu’Avernan, while walking in the footsteps of Aspectism, has no set religion its members are required to primarily follow. Members are free to practice their own religions within the guildhall and around guild members so long as it doesn’t directly contradict the belief values of the Wild Faith. That being said, there are some minor traditions directly implemented into the practice of the guild itself in order to retain respect for the balance and origins of the guild’s foundation. In addition, while no descendant is perfect, if one is found deliberately upsetting the balance, found to be a necromancer, mystic, dragonkin, voidal mage, or bear any other dark magicks, they will be harshly dealt with and kicked from the guild. Structure: In an attempt to keep every member safe upon expeditions, the Taelu’Avernan bears an inherent structure of command and titles: I: THE GUILD LEADER: The Av’Chirr translated roughly to ‘the Wandering Wolf’, is the current guild leader, and bears all autonomy over the guild. Should the Av’Chirr not be present, the trio of branch leaders (the Av’Tayna, the Av’Lareh, and the Av’Maehr) retain autonomy, followed by branch members themselves, and lastly but not least, unspecialized guild members. II: THE GUILD BRANCH LEADERS: The Av’Tayna translated roughly to ‘Wandering Life’, is the current medic leader, responsible for regularly training up the medical branch and ensuring all Av’oeman know, at the minimum, first aid. It is their responsibility to oversee the members of the Medical Branch and ensure all responsibilities are being upheld. The Av’Lareh translated roughly to ‘Wandering Mountain’, is the current warrior leader, responsible for training up the members of the warrior branch and ensuring all Av’oeman know, at the minimum, basic self defense and formations. It is their responsibility to oversee the members of the Warrior’s Branch and ensure all responsibilities are being upheld. The Av’Maehr translated roughly to ‘Wandering Wisdom’, is the current researcher lead, responsible for preparing and training members of the scholar’s branch and ensuring all Av’oeman know, at the minimum, how the Taelu’Avernan operate on a guild sanctioned expedition. The Av’Maehr is also largely responsible for the upkeep of the Taelu’Avernan’s records and tomes. It is their responsibility to oversee the members of the Scholar’s Branch and ensure all responsibilities are being upheld. III: THE GUILD BRANCHES: The Av’oeman Tali’Taeleh translated roughly to ‘Wandering Ones Part of Mind’, otherwise known as the Scholar’s Branch, are fully fledged members who have passed further trials to take on greater responsibilities and specialize in the gathering and spreading of knowledge. The Av’Oeman Tali’Diraar translated roughly to ‘Wandering Ones Part of Guard’, otherwise known as the Warrior’s Branch, are fully fledged members who have passed further trials to take on greater responsibilities and specialize in the leading and protection of guild members in combat. The Av’oem Tali’Walehan translated roughly to ‘Wandering Ones Part of Healing’, otherwise known as the Healer’s Branch, are fully fledged members who have passed further trials to take on greater responsibilities and specialize in the health of both mind and body for guild members both in and out of expeditions. IV: THE GUILD MEMBERS: The Av’oeman Maehr’sae translated roughly to ‘Wandering Ones Disseminating Knowledge’, are the current guild members who have fully passed their trials and are active within the guild. The Av’oeman Sirame’sae roughly translating to ‘Wandering Ones Developing Honor’, otherwise known as honoraries, are members of the guild who have passed their initiate’s trials but are unable to enter the field with the rest of the guild based on personal circumstance, be it age, physical disabilities, or even just a desire to not join their guild mates on expeditions. V: THE GUILD ASPIRANTS: The Taelu’Avernan Initiates are simply that: aspiring members that have yet to complete their trials! The Guild Hall: TBB (To Be Built!) Getting Into Contact: Those wishing to join the Taelu’Avernan may reach out and contact the Av’Chirr or any of the Branch Leaders. A list of our current members and leaders rests in the Taelu'Avernan Library! [Previous and Outdated Postings (Archived and OOC)]:
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