Yvazhare's Notes: Carriages

Omelnickiy, Envato Elements

Typical night in the theater district of Evening

"I see you narrowing your eyes at me. 'Ancient,' you scoff. Well, let me tell you, there isn't a better form of transportation than a carriage."

~ The author's great-great grandmother,
reminding me how old she is

Research:
Carriages

by our I'm-not-THAT-ancient scholar, Yvazhera

In this Research Document:

all images by Shanda Nelson
unless otherwise stated

Carriages

One of the odd things about being a ghost in the Evenacht is that you get to meet your ancestors. Years and years of ancestors. Nymphs live long lives (around 5,000 or so years on average) and they tend to like to stick around in the evening lands adding to those totals, so I've met thousands of family members thousands of years old.
And the more ancient the ghost, the more stubborn the ghost--and the more they use that stubbornness to cling to their old fashions and sensibilities. One of the most cherished things among them (and really, most ghosts), is that of carriage or wagon travel.

Carriage travel, you say. Yep. If you have not yet had the experience, you will, of an ancient ghost waltzing up to you as you disembarked from your current, more modern mode of transportation or a ziptrail. They will flip their skirts or tip their hat up at the front, and declaring the ONLY reliable transportation is a carriage.
Because horse and cattle dung in the middle of the street is--um, I digress.

Anyway, carriages--and wagons, depending on social status and homeland--were the predominant mode of transport throughout most of Talin, and therefore, Evenacht, history. And the ancient ghosts are not about to let something like 'fast modern transportation' interfere with their ideas about proper travel.
Yes, it's true, the Evenacht does not have the same metals and materials that Talis does for constructing modern vehicles. Since wood is plentiful, and since the beasts of burden that pull them are ample, carriages are among the most easily built and accessed modes of transport in the Evenacht.
That doesn't mean they aren't old-fashioned. Which they are.

For the younger or newly deceased, an ancient ghost is considered one who has lived in the Evenacht for at least eight thousand years. Yes, your eyes just popped, because aren't beings younger than that also ancient?
Yes, but there is a reason for this. Most faelareign actually decide to meet the Final Death before they reach 8,000. Sprites, humans and dryans tend to leave this existence more quickly than elfines and nymphs. Since elfines and nymphs tend to live longer lives, if one reaches 5,000 and then enters the Evenacht, they aren't exactly an ancient ghost, are they? They're a new ghost who lived a long life.
Of course, ancient ghosts don't necessarily consider themselves ancient, and will push the number of years existed in the Evenacht to a number beyond their current age. Some nymphs claim one is ancient ONLY if they've existed over 20,000 years. Absurd, but there you go.

Stubbornly Old-fashioned

Ancient ghosts are very stubborn about carriages. Some refuse to use ziptrails, some refuse to step foot on an Evening trolly. It's to the point that some communities have even outlawed the use of any motorized vehicles within the town's limits (yes, this includes the older sections of Evening) because of tradition and complaints about noise and speedy drivers.
That also includes pedaled bikes. Because ghosts have to be concerned about a bike running them down.
1

Living communites in the Evenacht have looked to Evening for inspiration and banned many vehicles from their borders (though they have no problems with motorized boats. I find this odd). One either walks, or uses carriages or wagons to get around, depsite the fact there are numerous magical transport options that don't rely on noisy engines or motors.
Because of this, most overland cargo is carried by wagon, despite the availability of faster, newer transportation types.
2

While annoying, much of the reason ancient ghosts prefer carriages concerns the implied wealth and status of the individual within. The fanciest of carriages have gold inlay, embroidered curtains, tassels with elaborate knots at the top, metal lamps with perforated designs at every corner, a driver in a plush box and a helper who will open the door.
The interiors have thick padding, floral designs on the walls, interior lighting (usually magical in nature), pleasing incense (can ghosts smell? No).
The horses who pull it are decked out in sweeping caparisons with family crest designs, braided manes and tails, sometimes hats with large feathers or fronds, and jangly harnesses.
Using a ziptrail does not imply weath or standing. Neither does a trolly, a bike, a rickshaw, a slide, or any kind of mechanized wheeled vehicles (at least to the same extent. Only the rich can have those in Evening and not be fined for it).
3

akophotography, Envato Elements

Younger generations are increasingly disenchanted with the display. They claim the older generations are adverse to change, epsecially when it makes things easier for the less rich. Older generations claim that the Evenacht is kept in a more pristine state by limiting how far and fast ghosts and living beings can travel, which benefits everyone.