Places That Are

In a world in perpetual flux, few things are as valuable as a Place That Is. Without the safety of a Place That Is, the world around you may change with the blink of an eye - though that is a very rare phenomenon. Typically travelers counteract this by having watchers out at night, though for solo travelers this is not an option.
Still, places that are provide more than just stability. They have a mind of their own, kind of, and are created through the elaborate ritual called Home on the Range. This ritual allows for the bonding of the Curator and the land by creating a Tether that the curator has to tend to, lest his home becomes a Place That Was.
Once the bond between Curator and Place is established, the Place will do its best to further the Curators intentions they had when creating the place, almost like a loyal pet. There is, however, no established way of telling a Place how to further its Curator's intent. To counteract Places running amok, the Travelers Association has set out a strict regimen to be followed, when someone request the assistance of One Who Makes, and part of that is an almost spiritual journey to understand their own intentions and hope for creating this place.
The creation, however, is not the only time where a Curator will influence its Place. Subtly, over the years of tending to the tether, the creator will change and grow old, and the bond will grow in power. Changing attitudes on the Curator's side will gradually be reflected in their Places attitudes, for better or worse.
What few people realize is that a Place That Is is a lifelong responsibility, unless they find a successor to take over for them. Sometimes not living up to this responsibility or realizing it to late, can have unfortunate circumstances.
There is, however, more to Places That Are than what the Association tells you. For they have existed long before the Travelers Association was even a thought, created by people banding together for protection and camaraderie. Families set up camp together, cared for each other and the land, worshipped their Gods, and the lands bonded with them. Back in the day, Places That Are were created through patience and habit. It wasn't what you thought you were and planned to do that created the bond, but your actions. The land watched and adjusted, started and stopped caring in unison with its community, and over time, the land molded itself to the needs of a village that had become its heart.
The Travelers Association does not like to think about these old Places That Are, for they go against the teachings and understanding of the Association. Their usual explanation for cities not simply changing is that the land does not change while being watched - and in a populous city, there's too many eyes open at all times.
The truth is, though, that these often ancient Places That Are have become beings of their own. The bond with their community has allowed them to grow and watch countless lifetimes. They know how things are run and what the values of their place are. Going against those has subtle consequences - bad luck, strange coincidences and accidents of varying severity might strike you if you don't abide by the rules. Similarly, being a pillar of the community comes with unusual serendipity, extremely long-lived houses and all-around good luck.
Using rituals like Home on the Range certainly sped up the process of creating a Place That Is - instead of generations, a few days are enough. Still, most researchers on the topic of Places That Are aren't convinced that these older Places actually are Places that Are, and rather attribute their longevity to serendipity. The theory of ancient Places That Are is still very much a fringe theory. Its proponents argue that places like Mirigang or events like what happened at The Night That Changed prove that much about Places That Are remain poorly uderstood, if one can even call it understanding, and try to find support for diving deeper into the research on ancient Places That Are.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane