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 Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:44 am
This world is a world different from Dreamspace, and Fallen Stars make their way in this world as best they can. One of those herds keeps no land of its own, but lives as close to their understanding of the natural aspect of this world as possible. They are a peaceful order of scholars and mystics protected and supported by warriors. Morality and study are held as the ideals of this order, but even for the peaceful in this troubled world, one could use some warriors; and for nomads without crafters, goods, passage, grazing, water, and other services are necessary. Their services and warriors are for hire...for a price.
Welcome to the Order of the Tree, a naturally-colored nomadic herd of scholars, mystics, and mercenaries.
Sun: Tobiano
Rain: Kumiko
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:50 am
I - Order of the Tree
II - Navigation
III - Passage of Time
IV - Code of the Tree
V - Ways of the Wood
VI - Scholars, Mystics, and Warriors
VII - Sun, Rain, Seasons, Redwoods
VIII - Web of Life
IX - Putting Down Roots
X - Trees of the Forest
XI - XV - Hidden Groves
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:52 am
First of May, 2011 - Herd set up~!
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 12:01 pm
The Code of the Tree, as the moral code of the Order of the Tree is called, is treated as law. However, given that the Order of the Tree supports scholarly and mystic activities, the code is written in a mystical idiom commonly used in the Order of the Tree. It will be decoded in simple terms below. I - Protect anyone who invokes the sanctuary of the earth. II - The greatest beauty to be found is in nature. III - Do not trample unjustly. IV - Everything happens in its proper season. V - Everything comes from a seed and puts out roots. VI - We are all part of a web of life. VII - How one does, has, or will grow belongs to oneself. I - Protect anyone who invokes the right of sanctuary, a right always guaranteed to anyone and everyone by the herd. II - Self-explanatory. III - Don't hurt the innocent for bad reasons. IV - Things happen when they happen. V - Everything has a cause and effect; keep this in mind always. VI - Self-explanatory. VII - Everyone has self-determination, or the right to it; same with secrets.
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 12:37 pm
The Order of the Tree, as befitting a mystical and scholarly order, has developed a more naturistic vocabulary and sets a lot of store by rituals and major events in the natural world. Holidays and rites of passage are detailed below. Since the herd does not have crafters or land of its own, the herd does need quite a few services: grazing rights, right to pass through other herd lands, water rights, and crafted goods. In exchange, the Order of the Tree offers knowledge, medical aid, and the services of their warriors. Keep in mind, while the Order of the Tree is primarily a peaceful order promoting knowledge, the Order does require payment for its services, and does have warriors at its command, albeit mercenaries who owe eternal loyalty to the Order of the Tree. Do no wrong to the Order of the Tree, and the Order of the Tree will never wrong you.
The speech patterns of the Order of the Tree scholars and particularly mystics tends to rely on metaphors referring to the natural world. Explaining the world is often done through comparisons to nature. Since out of all the herds around at the typing of this post, the Order of the Tree is the most scholarly, the Order of the Tree knows a great deal about the world that other herds may not, and it is possible to ask them when they pass through for knowledge, like medicine, basic astronomy, biology, geology, and other more readily applicable sciences, but expect the explanations to use nature as a metaphor, and expect to be asked for payment.
Sunning
The 21st day of June (and first of their year) is Sunning, the start of summer, too. This is their biggest festival, often spent someplace with lots of flowers, fruits and water in a forest. Everyone takes a bath and adorns themselves with crude floral decorations. There is also lots of dancing and laughter and games...though kind of klutzy. The point is to enjoy oneself and celebrate summer and the new year. At midday, there is a special feast of the first fruits of summer.
Harvest
The 21st day of September and first of fall is called Harvest. The day is spent anywhere early autumn fruit is hanging on the trees and is basically a day where everyone gathers as much fruit as they can for winter. It's also a time when they may offer their aid to other herds preparing for winter, but, like Sunning, includes lots of games, fun, laughter, and even a bit of dancing. The end of the day includes the telling of ghost stories and horror stories.
Darkening
The first day of winter and 21st of December is Darkening. Darkening is also the feast of the dead, spent very subdued, someplace with little to no plant life, or a place where tragedies occurred. The night before, as with the night of Harvest, includes telling of horror stories and ghost stories in particular, but Darkening is a very sober event spent quietly in meditation or in honoring the dead.
Budding
The first day of spring and 21st of March is known as Budding. Budding is a time of hope, a time when the herd may go visit other herds and offer help after winter. It's also a time to offer medical assistance. The herd will often set up shop in a peaceful, central location, and spread the word that they have a day open to all herds for free medical aid and a chance to pick up a bit of medicine. For other herds, this is potentially the biggest day of the year concerning the Order of the Tree, but like many other holidays, it's a busy time for the Order of the Tree.
Sprouting
This is a small celebration by the herd held for the birth of foals. It's a fairly low-key party taking place after the parents and the mystic leader of the herd name the foals.
Growing
Again, this is a fairly small celebration of a teenager's life. During this celebration, adults representing different ranks within the herd recruit Saplings into their ranks for training to adulthood.
Leafing
This is a bigger celebration, but still low-key, honoring a foal's growth to adulthood. It's often a more mature celebration, sometimes including more interesting drinks and food and jokes that no Sapling should hear.
Blooming
This is a very private ceremony held within families and attended by the mystic leader. It is the lifemating ritual, very mystic and quiet, and a time to celebrate love. The ensuing party is herd-wide, including feasting, singing, and dancing, as well as story-telling.
Aging
This ceremony is also very private and attended by the mystic leader. It is for Stars who are leaving the Order or are close enough to the end of their life that they wish to have the equivalent of a going-away celebration with those nearest and dearest to them. It is the least celebrated of any event, and often includes the herd being extremely quiet. Alternatively, a variation called Withering is performed for warriors who have fallen in battle. It is very much the same event, but with a different name and honoring those who died young.
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 12:51 pm
There are three basic jobs a Star can have in the herd, all of which are held as equal; there are also the young Stars, who have a lower rank, but the most freedom in the herd. All leaders in the herd also act as any of the three adult ranks. All are low RP.
Willow
The Willows are the nannies. They care for and protect Saplings. It is very rare for a Willow to become the Sun or Rain, and they sometimes become a Season other than their own. The Willows are considered to play a very important role in the herd and are associated most frequently with the Spring Season. The Spring Season represents them in the Council and is always a Willow. To be a Willow is to be respected for kindness and a good head on their shoulders. Willows sometimes pick up orphaned foals to join the herd, but usually only if they fit the color restrictions.
Ash
The Ashes are the scholars and mystics, spending an entire life in studying the world. An Ash is almost always either the Sun or Rain, and it isn't terribly common to have an Ash become a Season other than their own. Ashes in practice tend to get the most respect, representing the theoretical core of the Herd. They are associated with the Autumn and Winter Seasons, usually becoming one, the other, or even both. Ashes tend to be dignified, but will still lend a hoof whenever asked.
Oak
The Oaks are the warriors, sometimes referred to as the mercenaries of the Order of the Tree. They are solid types that are utterly loyal to the Order, no matter how much is paid, and while they are rough around the edges and are the ones who handle most of the business arrangements with other herds (making them sometimes accused by other herds of being the greedy ones), the Oaks are perhaps the MOST committed to the Code of the Tree. Like the Ashes, they almost always are either the Sun or the Rain and are infrequently a Season other than their own. They are represented by the Summer and Autumn Seasons, usually becoming, one, the other, or even both.
Saplings
The Saplings are the foals and teens of the herd, cared for, educated by, and protected by the Willows. Unlike other ranks, Saplings are represented by no Season and have no voice in the Council, as they are deemed too young and not ready for the responsibilities of being a Season. On the other hand, Saplings are given the widest range of possibilities in what they can do as herd members, an unusual degree of freedom to be treasured as they decide how they will grow into adulthood.
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 1:13 pm
The leadership of the Order of the Tree is perhaps the most complex matrix of leadership of any herd in existence at the time of typing this. Leaders are elected at the time of the old leaders' deaths from a population of candidates. There is a council that aids in decision-making processes, as well as advising the leaders, and the council is also an elected body from a population of candidates. All leadership roles in the herd are moderate to high RP.
The Sun - High RP
The Sun is almost always the Oak leader of the Order of the Tree. The Sun and the Rain do not have to be mates at all, but can be, if they love each other. He or she is in charge of negotiating military deals with other herds.
Current Sun: Tobiano
The Rain - High RP
The Rain is almost always the Ash leader of the Order of the Tree. The Rain's relationship to the Sun is as detailed above. He or she is in charge of negotiating peaceful deals with other herds, and is often a good healer.
Current Rain: Kumiko
The Spring - Moderate High RP
The Spring Season is a gentle councilor who represents the Willows and the Saplings of the herd. They often favor peace over war and are almost always in charge of any event involving education. They organize and run Budding.
Current Spring: none
The Summer - Moderate High RP
The Summer Season is often a brave and warm councilor who represents the Oaks of the herd. They are more likely to be warlike and athletic, but also often enjoy a good time, so play a role in organizing events. They organize and run Sunning.
Current Summer: none
The Autumn - Moderate High RP
The Autumn Season is often a tricky, clever councilor who represents the Oaks and the Ashes of the herd. They tend to be both clever and warlike, and are often put in charge of choosing the best locations for the herd during the year. They organize and run Harvest.
Current Autumn: none
The Winter - Moderate High RP
The Winter Season is a quiet, intelligent councilor who represents the Ashes of the herd. They tend to be peaceful and wise, so often negotiate the Order's relationships with other herds. They organize and run Darkening.
Current Winter: none
The Redwoods - Moderate RP
The Redwoods are a group of Stars who are candidates to be a Season, the Sun, or the Rain. They tend to be at least somewhat competitive with each other, but since everyone stands a good chance of rising to a leadership position and teamwork is necessary to lead the Order of the Tree, arguments and competition among the Redwoods is often low-key.
Current Redwoods: Myrddin
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Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 1:25 pm
In the complex web of relationships the herds of Dream Dancers have, any herd that is nomadic and purely neutral needs to know where it stands with regards to each herd, and the Order of the Tree is no exception. The relationships in this post are subject to change due to plotting.
Sunflare Herd
We have an alliance with them, albeit kind of loose. They appear to have a cult of the sun thing going, and they definitely have a war going with the Shadow Herd, a conflict we might want to stay out of, unless strictly necessary. Due to the sheer size of this herd and their territory, as well as their genetic ties to most other herds, it would be wise to not piss them off.
Shadow Herd
We are negotiating an alliance with them, again, very loose. They are a rather nasty piece of warlike work, so it would be beneficial to not mess with them. They also appear to be permanently politically unstable, so, again, it would be wise to not get involved. They do not have the range of genetic ties possessed by the Sunflare Herd, nor do they have the sheer numbers and territory size to equal their rivals, but they are still a volatile band.
Dreamer's Glass Herd
We are negotiating an alliance with them. They have a crystal cult, but are otherwise very peaceful and get along well with our Ashes. Given their growing size and the range of their genetic ties, it behooves us politically to be friendly with them...though it may become a genuine friendship on both sides.
Moonlight Herd
We are negotiating an alliance with them. They seem to have a moon cult, but, like Dreamer's Glass Herd, are peaceful and get along fairly well with our Ashes. They are also growing and have strong and wide genetic ties, so being friendly is definitely beneficial.
Tir na nOg Herd
We haven't been able to speak with them yet, as they live underwater, but we are given to understand that they are a nova herd with a strong alliance with the Sunflare Herd. They are as yet a small herd with a purely aquatic territory and no genetic ties elsewhere, but that's no reason to not seek an arrangement with them.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:37 pm
And now what we all need to run herds: FORMS. Put somewhere on your form sycamore. Joining the Order of the Tree: [size=18][color=green][b]I'd like to put down roots![/b][/color][/size]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name of Star:[/b]
[b]Cert and Uncert of Star:[/b]
[b]Requested Rank:[/b]
[b]Requested Clan:[/b]
[b]Reason for Joining:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b] Absolutely anything goes here: family, personality, and a bit of backstory are a good combo, but any combination of those three is fine. New Rank: [size=18][color=darkgreen][b]I'd like to grow![/b][/color][/size]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name of Star:[/b]
[b]Cert and Uncert of Star:[/b]
[b]Requested Rank:[/b] Leaving the Order of the Tree: [size=18][color=chartreuse][b]I think it's time for me to see the rest of the world![/b][/color][/size]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name of Star:[/b]
[b]Herd Joining:[/b] If applicable
[b]Reason for Leaving:[/b]
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:40 pm
Biographies of herd members will go here. ^^
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:41 pm
Post XI out of XV. Maybe we'll put foals here or something.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:42 pm
Post XII out of XV. Maybe we'll use this for herd plots or something.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:43 pm
Post XIII out of XV. Maybe we'll use this for herd RPs or something.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:44 pm
Post XIV out of XV. Maybe we'll use this for old news or something.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:44 pm
Post XV out of XV. Maybe we'll use this post for extra forms or something.
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