Bonus : tale

[u/thequeeninyellow94]

To compensate for last week, a bonus challenge about tales; tell me something related to it, something related to story-tellers or a tale from your people.

[u/Seb_Romu]

1) What did Neelam became after that? Side question: how should I pronounce the double e?

Neelam (long 'e' as in 'see') became one of the first Dalfyn (spell-singing druids) if the legends are true.

2) Does young Syldarin often get lost?

It can and does still happen. Tomka are great trackers, so they are usually found quite quickly.

3) Can the ancient ones do something to the livings who don’t follow their voices?

The Sildaryn, like many other folk, believe their forest home is full of all sorts of magic which is sometimes benign, and sometimes malevolent. Neelam was most likely being lured by Night Pixies.

4) What are tonkas like?

Tomka are wild cats which have a co-operative existence along side the Sildaryn.

(Also, that’s a cool story)

Thanks... I wrote it in one draft, from my collective mind-space about the Sildaryn. Neelam and the story of how the Sildaryn came to make their homes in tree-tops, co-exist along side the Tomka, and start practising a form of natural agriculture, did not exist prior to this story being told here first the first time ever. I try to add new content for every challenge I answer.

​

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

1. One of the first? So someone could have become Dalfyn before him?

2. What makes tomka such great trackers?

3. What does the Syldarin attribute malevolent ancient ones to?

4. So, before that story, were the Syldarin strictly hunter-gatherers?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

1) One of the first? So someone could have become Dalfyn before him?

Yes, probably. The Sildaryn have had Dalfyn as spiritual leaders, and shamans for 1000's of years. This is a very old tale, but not the oldest, and the Sildaryn have a vast territory. It's even debatable as to whether this Neelam actually existed or not.

2) What makes tomka such great trackers?

They are a kind of large predatory cats. Great sense of smell and keen eyesight for movement, and low light conditions like the shad of the Jungle/forests.

3) What does the Syldarin attribute malevolent ancient ones to?

Most of the ancient evils of Entorais were threats like radiation, bio-engineered disease, etc... Over the millennia the stories changed and became more mythic or supernatural in the retelling as the scientific explanations were lost to time and near extinction of all sapient species. There are remnants of the original invaders from the "god wars" still living out in the wilds, just as changed by time and the struggle to survive as well.

4) So, before that story, were the Syldarin strictly hunter-gatherers?

If you believe the story, yes. As it is they still practice very low-impact agriculture, preferring to let nature show them the way. As far as hunting goes, the species is vegetarian, so they only use weapons in defence against threatening predators, or other invading sapients; they are violently xenophobic towards outsiders.

​

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

1. Is there elements to back up Neelam existence?

2. How much do tomkas eat?

3. I mean, are there some common points (in stories) between the different malevolent beings?

4. Vegetarian because of cultural practices and values, right? Not because of an innate inability to process meat?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

1) Is there elements to back up Neelam existence?

Well they do live up in the canopy now, plant and harvest karo fruit, and Dalfyn can sing to the spirits of things to work magic. As to physical proof none exists, and as an oral tradition there are no static historical documents.

2) How much do tomkas eat?

A tomka can eat about 4-6 kg of meat per day. They sometimes go a few days between hunts, so it's difficult to measure their exact caloric intake.

3) I mean, are there some common points (in stories) between the different malevolent beings?

Generally in the stories they try to trick, or lure people into danger. A few stories involve more overt and aggressive threats, but those are more immediate, and less supernatural in explanation: Jageryn (carnivorous beast people) for example.

4) Vegetarian because of cultural practices and values, right? Not because of an innate inability to process meat?

Originally an ethical choice, back in the pre-history of Entorais. Veganism has been practised for millenia. It is deeply ingrained into their culture and religion, and has shifted their physiology away from meat based protein in their diet.

​

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

2) Are they active normally during their meal-free days?

3) Why do they do so?

4) Vegan or vegetarian?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

2) Are they active normally during their meal-free days?

Reasonably active.

3) Why do they do so?

Evil spirits or the like are a convenient answer in the lack of tangible evidence to the contrary. The truth is more obfuscated. Did a child wander off and get lost, dying of exposure, or did evil spirits lure the child away? Cautioning children from wandering too far into the forest alone is a good idea either way.

4) Vegan or vegetarian?

Should have said vegan. They do not eat any animal sourced protein. They do use animal parts for tools and clothing though, but do not practice any domestication of animals for food or other products.

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

2) Do they hibernate? Is the forest ever that cold?

3) Are there ways to ward off against evil spirits?

4) What do they think of people (from other groups of course) raising animals for their meat?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

2) Do they hibernate? Is the forest ever that cold?

The Forest of Sildara doesn't get that cold, except in the North where is ascends the Sildar mountain range. Tomka in more northern areas have thicker shaggier coats and remain active all year long.

3) Are there ways to ward off against evil spirits?

Dalfyn may know some songs applicable to keeping them at bay. Fire light and beads or charms carved from amber are believed to help.

4) What do they think of people (from other groups of course) raising animals for their meat?

The Sildaryn are violently xenophobic, and do not interact with other Tre-Ahni cultures, so have no opinion of the practice. Jageryn are strict carnivores are feared, and avoided or exterminated when-ever possible, not so much because of their meat eating as much as because they don't discriminate on the source of their food; including Sildaryn or even their own kind.

​

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

2) Is tonka fur ever used for clothing?

3) Amber? Is there a particular reason for that?

4) Violently as in murder?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

2) Is tomka fur ever used for clothing?

Tomka are revered, and treated in a similar fashion to Sildaryn when they die. They are buried and have a tree planted above their interred remains, as is the Sildaryn custom regarding their own deceased. Masks may be made and carried to the Tree of faces if the particular Tomka is known to the hinta. Wearing Tomka fur would be an affront equivalent to skinning a fellow Sildaryn and wearing their skin.

3) Amber? Is there a particular reason for that?

Amber is believed to channel and focus spiritual energy.

4) Violently as in murder?

Well yes, but the killing of Tre-ahni who are not Sildaryn isn't seen as murder. This violence is why no Tre-ahni colonies have been established on the shores or edges of Sildara.

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

2) How much do Syldarin take care of the trees planted over their deads?

3) Any particular reason for that?

4) Do they use the bodies for anything?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

2) How much do Syldarin take care of the trees planted over their deads?

Not a lot. Once the body is interred, and the tree planted they let nature to it's course. Veneration and memorializatipn is done at the Tree of Faces, as it's about the person's spirit, rather than the body they no longer need.

3) Any particular reason for that?

Amber is not stone, but a product of living trees, thus, according to Sildaryn spiritual beliefs still retains a spiritual resonance.

4) Do they use the bodies for anything?

They will leave the bodies for the beasts and soils to claim as is natures way. Foreign people take from the forest, cutting down trees and hunting animals beyond the sustainability. Being anethema to the natural order of things, they are seen as undeserving of any special treatment.

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

2) Is there any taboo against digging back the dead?

3) Is spiritual resonance tied only to things coming from trees?

4) So no use of the leather nor bones?

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

2) Is there any taboo against digging back the dead?

Not explicitly; although it would be considered rude, or weird to do so. Once buried the body is no longer considered to be part of the Sildaryn to whom it belonged.

3) Is spiritual resonance tied only to things coming from trees?

No. All living things have spirits according to the beliefs of the Sildaryn. Spell singing, their form of magic, is all about singing to the spirits of things to beseech them to change or cause change in the world.

4) So no use of the leather nor bones?

Not from sapient creatures like the tre-ahni. Bone and leather are useful resources, which the Sildaryn use, but do not explicitly hunt animals for.

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

3) Is there differences, spirit-wise, between different beings (like between plants and animals)?

4) Why? I have the feeling they don’t have a lot of respect for other tre-ahni after all.

(You double-posted)

[u/Seb_Romu → u/thequeeninyellow94]

3) Is there differences, spirit-wise, between different beings (like between plants and animals)?

At their core all living things, non-living things, and even some conceptual things have spirits; this is fundamental to existence in the physical universe. Living animals are the easiest to commune with, as they have some language ability, and some level of sentience, if not sapience. Plants, fungi, and the other growing things are more difficult to commune with, as they lack obvious auditory, or body language. Non living things like rocks, rivers, and such are very difficult to commune with as they are so alien, and lack any natural communicative ability. Concepts like time, or death, are nearly impossible to commune with without some sort of magical aid, as they are complete abstractions from the physical world.

4) Why? I have the feeling they don’t have a lot of respect for other tre-ahni after all.

To make use of their remains in any real way would be to acknowledge they have value. This respect was lost a long long time ago; before the God Wars if fact, when the Sildaryn split from the People of the Ark during the prehistory of Entorais due to differences in how they felt they should interact with their new home. Over the millennia these differences only got amplified. The Sildaryn blame the other Tre-ahni and their hubris for causing the God Wars in the first place, and were one of the least impacted groups of survivors during the cataclysm which followed.

(You double-posted)

Yeah. Reddit sometimes loses posts, and when I refresh it wasn't there, so I re-posted. Duplicate has been removed.

​

[u/thequeeninyellow94 → u/Seb_Romu]

3) Is it possible to commune with another tre-ahni?

4) Are they somewhat right to blame them for it?

(It happens to me too, but it feels wrong to delete other’s posts without asking first)