Cove Sprites
Navigators of the Western Islands
Cove sprites are a group of Sprites who left Zenxon in the 7th or 8th century to settle the Sun Islands and other Western Islands. They are known for their expert sailing and navigation skills.
History
While it is clear that cove sprites are related to Zenxonian sprites, it is unclear exactly when the two groups divided. Most historians believe this to have been some time between the invasion of Zenxon by Linakra and the 1136 massacre in Pine. Some believe the cove sprites were the original builders of the The Stone City, which they later abandoned when they were threatened with discovery. Though cove sprite mythology claims they have lived on the Sun Islands longer than this, some stories do mention the Stone City.
by ArtbreederNavigators
Because the Sun Islands lie in the treacherous The Northern Passage, cove sprites quickly became adept at navigating them, a skill which remains an important part of life on many of the Western Islands. A traditional cove sprite education includes geography, math, astronomy, and the study of wind and weather patterns, all necesary for navigation. Cove sprites also learn how to build boats out of Taso trees and study wind magic, which can be used to fill a sail and direct a boat. The truly expert navigators, however, are those who learn to navigate without the use of wind magic. They are said to know the air currents and storms nearly as well as the ice dragons and often sought after to teach.
Relationship with Outsiders
Once arriving in the Sun Islands, the Cove Sprites showed no interest in returning to Zenxon, and many of their stories say the larger island is haunted by the angry ghosts of the dead. As it is difficult to find the warm water current which carries a boat to the Sun Islands, the few ships that have gone looking for them have gotten destroyed in storms.
The cove sprites did not remain isolated on their islands, however. They improved their boats and sailed down the western coast of the Minor Continent into the Major Ocean. They developed trade partners along this coast, especially in the Gold River Valley, as well as with Mermish travelers, who they treated as kinsmen. Though Mermish magic allowed them to rule the ocean, the cove sprites' expert navigation skills often allowed them to find land more quickly. Therefore, while the Southern Islands were settled by the Mermish, the Western Islands were settled primarily by cove sprites.
Mermish Girl by Marjorie Ariel
There has been little disagreement between the Mermish and the cover sprites over island ownership, and several chains, such as the Fr'phe Islands, are settled by both groups. It is likely the two found solidarity with one another due to similar experienes with Linakran settlers, and that their shared stories are the reason there is no evidence of the Mermish traveling to Zenxon until fairly recently. Likewise, the only influx of cove sprites to Zenxon, even as visitors, did not occur until after the IAF Building was completed. Cove sprites are, nevertheless, sympathetic to the plight of their Zenxonian kin, and outspoken about the lack of equality in the nation.
Rites and Rituals
Birth
A week and a day after the birth of a child, the mother bathes the baby in the ocean, so they will always remember the feeling of their home waters and be able to return if they are lost. Family and friends attend this ceremony and bring sweet treats and jewelry made of shells and woven fibers to honor the baby.
Naming
Like Zenxonian sprites, cove sprites usually give their children compound names. Usually, the first half is a nature related name, and the second half indicates some hope for the child's future (e.g. Oceanleader, starhealer, etc.). Names are usually shortened to the first half of the compound. Surnames are usually, but not always a compound ot the parents' surnames.
Coming of Age
In the Sun Islands, when a child comes of age, they take a short voyage away from, and back to, the islands. They will have been on many journeys before this, but this gives the child the opportunity to prove their ability to naviagte on their own. There is always at least one adult on board, but they do not assist unless the boat is in grave danger. If the child is unable to successfully navigate without an adult taking over, this is not considered a failure, only need for further practice. The child will accompany adults on more journeys before making another solo attempt at a future date.
The ritual is very strict in the Sun Islands because slight errors in locating the warm water currents that lead to and from the islands will usually end with a boat being battered by the icey winds and waves of the dangerous Northern Passage, and the death of all on board. In other islands, where the waters are less dangerous, the rules governing whether or not a child passes the test can less rigid. In these areas, almost all children undertake their coming of age at fifteen or sixteen. In the Sun Islands, the age ranges from as young as twelve to a person's mid-twenties, though most undergo it in their late teens.
by Artbreeder
Navigators
Because the Sun Islands lie in the treacherous The Northern Passage, cove sprites quickly became adept at navigating them, a skill which remains an important part of life on many of the Western Islands. A traditional cove sprite education includes geography, math, astronomy, and the study of wind and weather patterns, all necesary for navigation. Cove sprites also learn how to build boats out of Taso trees and study wind magic, which can be used to fill a sail and direct a boat. The truly expert navigators, however, are those who learn to navigate without the use of wind magic. They are said to know the air currents and storms nearly as well as the ice dragons and often sought after to teach.
Once arriving in the Sun Islands, the Cove Sprites showed no interest in returning to Zenxon, and many of their stories say the larger island is haunted by the angry ghosts of the dead. As it is difficult to find the warm water current which carries a boat to the Sun Islands, the few ships that have gone looking for them have gotten destroyed in storms.
The cove sprites did not remain isolated on their islands, however. They improved their boats and sailed down the western coast of the Minor Continent into the Major Ocean. They developed trade partners along this coast, especially in the Gold River Valley, as well as with Mermish travelers, who they treated as kinsmen. Though Mermish magic allowed them to rule the ocean, the cove sprites' expert navigation skills often allowed them to find land more quickly. Therefore, while the Southern Islands were settled by the Mermish, the Western Islands were settled primarily by cove sprites.
Mermish Girl by Marjorie Ariel
There has been little disagreement between the Mermish and the cover sprites over island ownership, and several chains, such as the Fr'phe Islands, are settled by both groups. It is likely the two found solidarity with one another due to similar experienes with Linakran settlers, and that their shared stories are the reason there is no evidence of the Mermish traveling to Zenxon until fairly recently. Likewise, the only influx of cove sprites to Zenxon, even as visitors, did not occur until after the IAF Building was completed. Cove sprites are, nevertheless, sympathetic to the plight of their Zenxonian kin, and outspoken about the lack of equality in the nation.
Rites and Rituals
Birth
A week and a day after the birth of a child, the mother bathes the baby in the ocean, so they will always remember the feeling of their home waters and be able to return if they are lost. Family and friends attend this ceremony and bring sweet treats and jewelry made of shells and woven fibers to honor the baby.
Naming
Like Zenxonian sprites, cove sprites usually give their children compound names. Usually, the first half is a nature related name, and the second half indicates some hope for the child's future (e.g. Oceanleader, starhealer, etc.). Names are usually shortened to the first half of the compound. Surnames are usually, but not always a compound ot the parents' surnames.
Coming of Age
In the Sun Islands, when a child comes of age, they take a short voyage away from, and back to, the islands. They will have been on many journeys before this, but this gives the child the opportunity to prove their ability to naviagte on their own. There is always at least one adult on board, but they do not assist unless the boat is in grave danger. If the child is unable to successfully navigate without an adult taking over, this is not considered a failure, only need for further practice. The child will accompany adults on more journeys before making another solo attempt at a future date.
The ritual is very strict in the Sun Islands because slight errors in locating the warm water currents that lead to and from the islands will usually end with a boat being battered by the icey winds and waves of the dangerous Northern Passage, and the death of all on board. In other islands, where the waters are less dangerous, the rules governing whether or not a child passes the test can less rigid. In these areas, almost all children undertake their coming of age at fifteen or sixteen. In the Sun Islands, the age ranges from as young as twelve to a person's mid-twenties, though most undergo it in their late teens.
Birth
A week and a day after the birth of a child, the mother bathes the baby in the ocean, so they will always remember the feeling of their home waters and be able to return if they are lost. Family and friends attend this ceremony and bring sweet treats and jewelry made of shells and woven fibers to honor the baby.
Naming
Like Zenxonian sprites, cove sprites usually give their children compound names. Usually, the first half is a nature related name, and the second half indicates some hope for the child's future (e.g. Oceanleader, starhealer, etc.). Names are usually shortened to the first half of the compound. Surnames are usually, but not always a compound ot the parents' surnames.
In the Sun Islands, when a child comes of age, they take a short voyage away from, and back to, the islands. They will have been on many journeys before this, but this gives the child the opportunity to prove their ability to naviagte on their own. There is always at least one adult on board, but they do not assist unless the boat is in grave danger. If the child is unable to successfully navigate without an adult taking over, this is not considered a failure, only need for further practice. The child will accompany adults on more journeys before making another solo attempt at a future date.
The ritual is very strict in the Sun Islands because slight errors in locating the warm water currents that lead to and from the islands will usually end with a boat being battered by the icey winds and waves of the dangerous Northern Passage, and the death of all on board. In other islands, where the waters are less dangerous, the rules governing whether or not a child passes the test can less rigid. In these areas, almost all children undertake their coming of age at fifteen or sixteen. In the Sun Islands, the age ranges from as young as twelve to a person's mid-twenties, though most undergo it in their late teens.
by Artbreeder
Physical Features
At first glance, cove sprites look identical to Zenxonian sprites. They typically have brown skin, red hair, blue or green eyes, and a coloration pattern on their skin that resembles tree bark. Nevertheless, there are some small differences as well:
- Cove sprites are, on average, taller than Zenxonian sprites
- There is often less contrast between the two skin colors forming the tree-bark pattern, making these patterns more subtle, though still very noticable
- Black and blonde hair colors are more common among cove sprites. Whereas Zenxonian sprites typically assume any sprite child with blonde hair has human parantage, such assumptions are not made among cove sprites.
Clothing
Cove sprites make their own clothing from a variety of naturally grown fibers, especially the Aadia plant. Like Zenxonian sprites, they spin and knit yarn to make clothing, though finger knitting is rare, and they also weave their own fabric much more than Zenxonian sprites, often on small, portable looms.
Language
Like Zenxonian sprites, cove sprites have a tendency to learn languages quite fast, so they tend to be multi-lingual. The language spoken in the Sun Islands and many of the Western Islands is a dialect of Roex, different from that spoken in Zenxon. Furthermore, dialects differ between different island chains, and even between islands in the same chain. In some places, the language has been heavily influenced by languages such as Mermish, and in others, the language has almost completely given way to pidgins and creoles.
Religion
While there is a relatively high level of religious diversity among cove sprites, most believe in the Calistian gods and also hold to the idea of Astromythology.
Magic
Like Zenxonian sprites, most cove sprites are born with an innate gift for wind magic. A small percentage, however are not. Since all children begin studying wind magic very young, it is not always clear which students are not born with an innate gift, but this is usually the reason attributed to a child who struggles with the practice. There is no stigma against this, however, as children are also taught to utilize their strengths to their advantage.
Cove sprites make their own clothing from a variety of naturally grown fibers, especially the Aadia plant. Like Zenxonian sprites, they spin and knit yarn to make clothing, though finger knitting is rare, and they also weave their own fabric much more than Zenxonian sprites, often on small, portable looms.
Language
Like Zenxonian sprites, cove sprites have a tendency to learn languages quite fast, so they tend to be multi-lingual. The language spoken in the Sun Islands and many of the Western Islands is a dialect of Roex, different from that spoken in Zenxon. Furthermore, dialects differ between different island chains, and even between islands in the same chain. In some places, the language has been heavily influenced by languages such as Mermish, and in others, the language has almost completely given way to pidgins and creoles.
Religion
While there is a relatively high level of religious diversity among cove sprites, most believe in the Calistian gods and also hold to the idea of Astromythology.
Magic
Like Zenxonian sprites, most cove sprites are born with an innate gift for wind magic. A small percentage, however are not. Since all children begin studying wind magic very young, it is not always clear which students are not born with an innate gift, but this is usually the reason attributed to a child who struggles with the practice. There is no stigma against this, however, as children are also taught to utilize their strengths to their advantage.
While there is a relatively high level of religious diversity among cove sprites, most believe in the Calistian gods and also hold to the idea of Astromythology.
Aw, I love all the different traditions you've described. I love the dipping the baby in the ocean one. :) They sound like an interesting people who have been able to thrive.
Explore Etrea
Thanks. I've always found life-cycle traditions interesting.