Within Sun's First Grace
Hunter's Gift
Located near the edge of the city is a large wooden platform supported by thick wooden beams, ropes, and rigging embedded into the three surrounding rock pillars. The platform itself is built from hefty wooden logs with a smoothed wood finish on the top side. Much of the wood has been painted with traditional Elian patterns and ample amounts of sun symbols and hunting imagery. Small wooden pod-homes hang from the edges, illuminated by Villám lamps during the night. The pods are generally very simple, featuring one perch and basic amenities: a place to rest, wash up (briefly) and a small supply of non-perishable food and drink. The pods seem more like a camper or hiker’s pitstop than a permanent home. They’re mostly used as temporary nap stations and many of the hunters can be found passed out in a pod.
The actual platform is generally bare of permanent features, but many will roll out rugs or tarps to display goods, clean their most recent hunt, or dry meat in the sun. Although named for the hunters, many of the “regular folk” can also be found here and the gatherers often commandeer a corner of the platform to sort, dry, and clean what they’ve gathered. Many will merely sunbath while listening to the stories shared by the hunters. And others will work on crafts, like feather work and beadwork. While trading often occurs by accident, this space is primarily a social one.
Olkka was a prime hunter in his youth and although the years have caught up to him, he is still adamant on being a part of hunts. Plus, he still has the steadiest and quickest hands... he can strip a Szorm'Szor of all its useful parts in under an hour. There's none faster than he and this is supported by the five braids he sports. Still, given his age, he's not trusted to go out hunting alone. As someone raised in an open community, Olkka is fine with that, but he won't just go out with any hunter. So it's a bit odd that his usual hunting companion is an orc woman in her 50s. Originally from Ragna, Silvana moved to the fringes of Elios and then helped Olkka back to Sun's First Grace when she found him hurt and unable to fly temporarily. She chose to stay in Sun's First Grace and, since that day, has earned 3 braids. Despite being into the start of her later years, time has certainly been kinder to her than Olkka.
Other Hunters: Zeru, Thora, (Soarin, Ren)
The Frosted Muffin
Located in the middle of the city is a modest-sized pair of hanging pods. One set appears to have only smaller windows and an open chimney through which smoke rises. The other pod features multiple perches leading to open windows through which one can see a few sets of tables, chairs, and pillows upon which people seem to be eating and talking. A counter nearby allows a glance into what appears to be a bakery beyond. A display case has a variety of baked goods on display… but it seems to have been mostly packed with a delicacy called a “Frosted Muffin”. How peculiar!The Insomnia equivalent of delivery for frosted muffins! Mundane or Magical!Current Magical Frosted Muffins: Blundering Blueberry, Nina's Special, The Frosted Cardinfox, The Frosted Sun, Last Wish, The Frosted Szorm'Szor, The Frosted Tree, the Frosted Dragon
Owned by: Phirun (and his nephew Perun)
The Egg Basket – Breakfast, Brunch, and Booze
Unlike most of the buildings here, this one appears to not be a traditional pod. The place itself appears to be generally square and composed of two levels. The lower level has closed walls – with a few small windows – and one single perch. The upper level, however, seems to be a “360” bar with only wooden pillars supporting the roof. The bar stools are located along the outside of the building, suspended by perhaps a single wooden beam or a complicated rigging of rope. Most of the patrons seem perfectly content to sit perched on what seems like an incredibly precarious seat. Elians talk, chat, and joke with those sitting around them or those on the other side. When its busy, you simply fly around and find another seat… or take a perch on the roof if there are no seats available.
Despite the initially “risky” seating, there is a large net arranged below to catch those who perhaps don’t have any means of flight or, more likely, to catch those who are too drunk to fly. The Egg Basket’s primary function is as a tavern and bar, but they also serve breakfast and brunch. You can certainly pay in gold, but most of the customers here seem to pay with “rewards cards” with various notes scrawled on them: “fixed the squeaky board in the back – 5 servings” or “free drinks for a week – helped with delivery”.
Owned by: Cheekah (and bartender Tyto)
Shrine to Caliban
Tucked near one of the rock pillars on one of the lower levels of the city is a small pod half suspended and half resting on an outcropping of the rock pillar. The pod is adorned with a pagoda style roof more akin to those seen in Caliban. Dark blue and violet tapestries hang in the windows with images of the night sky and the moon. Within, a large draconic statue sharing features of black, white, silver, and bronze dragons sits proudly.In the shrine to Caliban, he is primarily worshipped as the God of Night and the God of the Moon (as opposed to fate and divination). His image has been oddly merged with those of the Greatwyrms. Or, perhaps the Elian people worship the Greatwyrms under the name of Caliban? Does the distinction matter? What is known is that the Elian people worship Caliban as the “other half” of Elis. When the Goddess of the Sun must rest, it is Caliban who takes up the yoke and the mantle of the sky.
Tuari’s Gift: Long ago, Tuari offered the greatest gift an Elian can offer: one of his braids. It was a fitting gift given to a fitting god. Maybe it’s about time that a reciprocal offering is made? Is it time for a hero of Caliban to make such an offering to Elis?
Type
Common area
Parent Location
Silvana
Zeru
Thora
Phirun
Perun
Cheekah
Tyto
Comments