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 Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 3:42 pm
 Quote: The Great Tree sits on the precipice of a mighty waterfall. Its roots delve deep into the cliff-side, holding it fast against the relentless onslaught of the waters rushing past. Its twisting, sun-dappled branches are so large that the Tree supports its own ecosystem of flora and fauna. Passing clouds become trapped in its branches until the Tree seems to grow storms rather than leaves. An isolated colony of B'alam call the Great Tree home, and, thankful for the bounty it gives them, call themselves the Stormblessed.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:00 pm
Further Setting Information Flora and FaunaQuote: Given that the cubs will be discovering the Great Tree, I thought it would be fun to have colony member to ICly add to a compendium of The Great Tree's flora and fauna. We will need to stay within the theme of adding two animals together. (Wolf/Bat = Bolf, Boar/Chicken = Bork) Click the following link to learn how! This doesn't actually go anywhere just yet.Quote: Rivers and WaterfallThe Great Tree sits at the junction where two great rivers meet. The roots of the tree are so deeply entrenched within the land that it keeps the cliff face from eroding under the force of the water. The waterfall tumbles hundreds of feet below into a deep pool before thundering away towards the lake of the Water Tribe. For the most part, the flow of the water around the tree is extremely strong and treacherous. Falling into the main flow would most certainly send any careless cubs tumbling to their doom over the waterfall. However, there are calm pools of water caught within the roots of the Tree. Fish can be caught here, and clay dredged from the bottom of the river. Quote: Roots to CanopyThe roots of the Great Tree are many and vary greatly in size and length. While the roots hold the cliff-side together, the space beneath the Great Tree becomes flooded through the rainy season. Each flooding both cleans out areas within the roots, and piles earth in fertile piles around the base of the Tree. The entrance to the chamber of Awakening can be found on the side of the Tree facing the waterfall. The entrance, the chamber, and certain sections of the labyrinthian root system remain dry year-round, but it is very easy to get lost among them. The trunk consists of older branches of the Tree that grew out, around, and all entangled themselves with each other. As the Tree grew, these merged together, but here and there, pockets of space were left within the trunk of the tree, creating natural rooms. Often-times these rooms serve as dens for the fauna that live on the Tree, as they provide handy protection from the frequent storms. The branches of the Tree weave in and around the trunk, and far, far up into the canopy. They form many paths over and around the Tree. Wind blown dirt collects in crevices, providing space for ambitious plants to grow. Close to the trunk, the branches are strong and unyielding to the weight of even several B'alam. Farther out, the branches can reliably hold one to two B'alam, but will generally sway beneath their weight. Out even farther, the branches can only be trusted to hold one B'alam, and will wave energetically beneath their weight. Only those who've demonstrated a deft control of Earth magic, or those Riding the Storm are allowed out this far.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:03 pm
COUNCIL:
With no adults about, and more cubs arriving, the budding Colony finds it needs a way to solve disputes that doesn't end in a scene out of the Lord of the Flies. It's decided that, since they are all peers, no ruling group will be established. Instead, the Colony divides itself into Factions. The members of these Factions may vote on whatever issue the Colony faces. They deliver their votes to the Faction leader, who stands for their vote on the Council.
FACTIONS:
The different Factions encompass certain areas of expertise among the Colony's jobs and tasks.
XXXXTHE CURRENT LIST:
Those Who Provide - Hunters, Surveyors
Those Who Keep - Lorekeepers, Teachers, Poets, Minstrels, Writers
Those Who Create - Potters, Merchants, Chefs, Weavers
Those Who Protect - Rangers, Guardians, Fighting Instructors
Those Who Tend - Pruners, Druids*, Florists
*Ever read what the Earth Tribe magic allows B'alam to do? Now imagine what an Earth B'alam who lives in a tree could create!
It's understood that certain jobs will see some overlap in which Factions it could fall under. In that case, the individual is allowed to declare themselves for a Faction. For instance, a Minstrel would usually fall under Those Who Keep, but since this Minstrel focuses on entertaining, he/she declares themselves for Those Who Laugh.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:04 pm
Names:Cub Names: As cubs with no adults to name them, they choose names for themselves, or adopt nick-names others give them. As such, cub names tend to be one to two words, and usually describe an attribute about the cub. I.e. Brown Paw for a cub with one brown paw, or Long Look for a cub that spends a lot of time staring off into the distance. Stormblessed Names: Cubs receive their Stormblessed name after passing a coming-of-age trial known as Riding the Storm. Stormblessed names are generally Elven. An excellent site for choosing a name can be found here.Traditions:Riding the Storm: To earn a new name as an adult of the colony, members will climb into the uppermost branches, and ride out one of the Tree’s frequent storms. Afterwards, the members who have passed the ritual will choose a new name for the participant based on how well they rode the storm. Tales of Thunder: This starts out as a way to keep younger cubs calm during storms, and evolves into an annual competition that colony members can enter into. IC prizes will be awarded for different categories, and later will include poetry and epics as well. The Great Swapping: This was started when one of the founding cubs decided that the items he no longer wanted could still be useful to someone else, and vice versa. And, so, the swapping began! It’s held in the common area and is now held twice a year, once in the Summer and once in the Winter. It’s held in the common area, where the entire colony gathers to swap. They also bring items that they create themselves and the best of the gathering is put on display for all to see! Clearing the Air: A routine meeting on a regular basis (say every month, or every few months) for Faction Leaders to come together as a council and not only discuss issues to resolve, but plan events, ect. It would also include an open forum for any member of the colony to put forth a proposal or to air a grievance to be resolved. Learn to Grow: During the spring or summer, cubs are sent to the upper limbs to find a seed of some plant, any plant, that grows on one of the boughs. The cubs bring their seeds down to the ground, where they are taught how to tend and care for a plant. They will take care of the plant at least until they Ride the Storm. If they wish, they may continue to take care of the plant as adults. Thus the cubs learn how to take care of their home and respect all growing things.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:48 pm
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 10:41 am
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