Sunday, September 17, 2017

Map and Story Block 9

Good Afternoon everyone,

Continuing our series developing a world a 5 mile square block at a time, we present:

Block 9

Block-9-crop.jpg

Scale: 1 square = 1/2 mile

Leaving Aki and heading a day's journey north-east, the traveler will come across a large butte.  Carefully and loving carved into the butte is  a shrine to the most famous Tygrys hero, Rahki. Rahki had a long and glorious life and saved the Tygrys many times from total destruction.  The shrine honors her bones which are buried beneath it.  There is a large encampment in front of the shrine.  Each year an honor guard of Tygrys is selected to guard the shrine. Many Tygrys hope to be picked for this wonderful duty; but only a few are chosen.

 The Shrine at the Butte

Block-9-1-crop.jpg

Scale: 1 square = 250 feet

It is a tradition of the Tygrys to visit the shrine at least once a year to receive a blessing from He Who Guards The Shrine.  This person is also chosen once a year from a secret ballot that each Tygrys fills out and nominates exceptional examples of Tygrys that have helped their race improve in some way.  Once a Tygrys becomes He Who Guards the Shrine they go through a ceremony and then don the robes and a ceremonial mask that has been made to look like Rahki. This mask doesn’t come off except when there are no other Tygrys around. It is considered an honor on your family if one of your relatives becomes He Who Guard The Shrine.

Next Block: The Borderlands.

Text (c) 2017 Heleen Durston and map (c) 2017 Andrew Durston

Monday, September 4, 2017

Map and Story Block 8

Good Evening everyone,

Continuing our series developing a world a 5 mile square block at a time, we present:

Block 8

Block-8-crop.jpg

Scale: 1 square = 1/2 mile

Following the road to the south of The Stormy Bed, takes the traveler in an east/northeasterly direction.  Taking this road for a standard day’s journey will have you arrive in Aki, a primarily Tygrys (The Dwarfs call them Tigermen) village.  Most of the journey is made through the plains with the occasional sighting of a Dindwell tree and a small lake that usually accompanies it.  The Dindwell trees are around 10 ft tall and have large leaves that provide shade from the sun.  The Dindwell trees tend to grow in clusters and the Tygrys advantage of this and build a lot of their smaller villages and towns under them.  The Dindwell trees also provide a food source for the Tygrys in the form of a large nut called the Duscle that grows year round.  The Tygrys use all parts of the Duscle, the shell becomes the basis for part of the spears that most Tygrys carry. The inner shell is used in several healing tonics and the inner meat is eaten at almost every meal.

Aki is the home to the Dindwell Spear tribe. A copse of Dindwell trees rests against the small lake of Juhq. Among these trees are huts made from some of the local tall grasses. There are no walls or boundaries to the village and everyone seems calm and peaceful.

Text (c) 2017 Heleen Durston and map (c) 2017 Andrew Durston