Who Am I? Who is my Family? What is my past?
Family
See also here
The
Illynome are my family - like it or not. They are not one of the great families of the Zola Fel but they are one of the old families and they are one of the rich families.
My grandparents were (on father's side) The Illynome (Died 1612 when attacked by a Cliff Toad) and a scribe (Fenela) from Pavis.
My mother's parents were a Farmer (Leika) from the Wide Wash and a Warrior (Toras) from the Plains of Prax. Toras died, fighting valiantly against the Lunars, during Starbrow's Rebellion in 1613 having, earlier, fought in the Holy Country in 1597 and the battle of Moonbroth in 1610.
My parents are The Illynome (after 1612) and a Herder (Saberak). They declined to join the White Bull in 1616 as it would have endangered the Wide Wash too much - and found themselves out of favour with both the Lunars (because they were anti-Lunar Sartarites) and the Praxian Tribes (because they were pro-Lunar).
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The Father is a citizen of Pavis - although only nominally at present. The family have supplied priests historically, but not these days: too close to the hated Lunars.
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Oh yes, I'm the middle child of a small family. There are some other offspring - but they are not formally acknowledged.
My elder brother (Harmast) will be The Illynome after my father - assuming he survives - and my elder sister (Andretta) is a hunter - of animals and hearts!
And there is the new-wife (Berra) of my father and her brats (Onelisen and Venharl). She is a
wily witch crafter and they are too young to have decided what they are - they are 10 and 11 years younger than me.
Early Childhood
My Father was determined that I should be born in Pavis. I'm not sure that the Gods were. And so, with "Plenty of time" to go, the family were packed into boats and set off for the city. What my father hadn't prepared for was that it rained - and blew - and one thing after another that delayed the convoy such that my mother was in labour before we entered the gates and I was born in the back of a litter on Dwarf Street. All very undignified, with "Dwarf Street" being cited for the reason why I'm so small compared to my parents and siblings.
It was decided to cover all the political bases with my naming. Fenela: An old Pavis name and the name of one of my grandmothers. Deezola: One of the seven mothers and a nod to the Lunars - A Queen no less. Sunbright: A direct reference to the Light and pleasing to the Sun-Domers. I'm not sure he didn't just alienate all the groups by not picking one!
The journey and labour and rain appear to have got to my mother. She became gravely ill with childbed fever, and even the graces of the Temple of Chalana Arroy were unable to return her to her former self. My father blamed me for his wife's change from bright and lively to sad and quiet. She eventually succumbed to the wet-season coughs when I was six. I still recall the day, ten years ago, when we were called to her room - dark and full of incense and strange magics - to witness the pale shadow of a woman slip from the world one slow breath after another until she breathed no more. I still treasure those times when, before she died, I could sneak into her room, lie on her bed (surrounded by her ladies) and listen to the stories of the clan's history; its heroines and their trials, tribulations and final victories.
Neglect & Education
As "the child that killed my father's love" I had been out of favour. With her death my position deteriorated and I was basically ignored. This actually worked out OK. No one said: "Don't practice with a sword"; "Don't run about town"; "Stay indoors and embroider". And so I got to sit in with the boys' tutors, or not, and to hang out with "all-sorts". Unlike my elder siblings, no one cared provided I didn't draw attention to the house. Unlike them I didn't go everywhere with guards and entourage and sycophants.
For some years I hung about at the Earth Temple and sort of followed Voria - all flowers and small animals. As saffron growers, the attachment to flowers was considered appropriate.
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I was, of course, a member of Zola Fel - you have to be to get between our estates and the city.
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It was said that, with my attractions to both Earth and Water, that explained my attraction to Mud!
After my mother's death, my life became obsessed by the end of life. The transition from living to dead. Not the ending of life, but the loss of it - the truth of it. Trying to make sense of what had happened.
Becoming Whitesmoke
The name "Whitesmoke" was bestowed on me by some caravan guards. While on the annual move from the city back to the country estate (Unusually, we were travelling by road), the guards had become concerned that the caravan was being stalked. As a consequence, the fires were carefully banked and guards were standing watch. As a helpful child, I had gathered fuel from the surrounds - and it dropped it too near the fire. As this went up in flames, it generated a huge cloud of white smoke that completely negated the care that everyone had taken in hiding the camp. It was not all bad however - The smoke drifted up the nearby arroyo, and unexpected sounds of coughing were heard from a previously undiscovered group of trackers. There was a brief clash of arms and a hurried move by night and everyone got away unscathed - except for me...I became "Whitesmoke"!
"Are we being watched...no idea - send for Whitesmoke - she'll find them!"
I now wear the name with pride (what you can't change, you may as well live with). And having an acknowledged Nomad name (to go with the others) has been handy since.
Household Service
My father found a new wife. Unfortunately, she wasn't as negligent of me as my father. Wanting "the other wife's brat" out of the house, I was shipped off to act as ladies companion with the Indagos - an Old Pavis family convinced the Big Rubble should be integrated into the Empire under Pavis' administration. I mean, like the Lunars would let that would happen! I managed to keep out of the sight of the ladies most of the time - When I could, I got out but that was something I now had to be careful about - the youths now had a nasty gang and were led by a Vicious Lunar from the Patroma family. I spent a lot of time with the Lady and her Guard (an Earth Cult Guardian type - Babeester Gor) heading about the markets in Pavis, visiting the other families, oozing through the upper strata of the town - making small-talk with the invaders and smiling at their wit.
The deceit of all this eventually got to me. My declaring that I was a lay member of Humakt was something of a shock to the families. Fortunately, a Centurion tended to call: and saying "No" to a Centurion wasn't something the Indagos were willing to try for a young waiting woman - no matter what her pedigree. And my stepmother seemed happy that I might go off and get killed!
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What is my homeland? Who are my people? What other lands do I know? Who are their people?
Home
My homeland is the Wide Wash in the County of Pavis, with homes in the City of Pavis and in Illynome at the foot of the valley on the Zola Fel. I know well the Zola Fel's middle reach in between as we would frequently travel between the two locations: The Wash for the Planting and Harvest, the City for the Markets and the People and the connections.
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My people, those our family lead, are the the Spice Farmers and their kin from Sartar's Balmyr Tribe. We sought to escape the growing threat of the Lunar empire and heeded Dorasar's call in 1550-51: Crossing the wastes of Prax to settle in our side-valley of the Zola Fel. Here we, under the guidance of my great-great grandparent, created our home and started growing the saffron that is the foundation of our financial strength. We have forged a deep connection to the Wide Wash and are now part of the fabric of the land there. Our blood has watered the land, our backs have tilled it, or ancestors have been buried under it.
Other Places & People
The Tribes of Prax (well the Bisons and Impalas in particular) come to our village and trade for dyes. We have always been careful not to block the herds from the waters and some sons and daughters have married into those clans over the years. I have cousins who ride amongst the Nomads - and move across the plains was the wind takes them.
The Garhounds are an old clan, and they have married into our clan and we into theirs. And the Ingilli on the river. There are connections up and down the valley amongst the old families: Both Love matches and Feuds - and even some that are both at the same time!
Southward down the valley, on the other side of the river, is the Sundome Temple. They are a separate culture in many ways and have supported the Lunar Invasion over the Sartarite interests. As major consumers of the yellow dye, they are the clan's major nearby market.
And everywhere in the valley are the Lunars themselves. They have many troops who "Keep the Peace" and have disturbed the settled order of recent centuries with their new Moon. We came here to avoid them, and they came here too! As major suppliers of Saffron, the family has to deal with them (but carefully lest we all get murdered in our beds while some Lunar Noble takes up the trade in order to add an additional small income to their already huge wealth).
What work do I do? How do I spend my time?
TBC
My time has been dependent upon the needs of The Illynome - traversing between City and Valley - alternating between Agricultural and Political.
At Illynome
The female children's bedroom at Illynome. My sister's bed was in the corner you can't see. Of course, if the family had guests, we would be moved to mats on the floor of another room!
The Men's room at the Illynome house...Into which I rarely went, and then only by invitation - usually for the delivery of bad news or to receive punishment.
TBC
In Pavis
TBC
What do I value? Who do I serve? What do I hope for?
Above all I value life. The Truth of it. The Cycle of it. It's beginnings and its endings. How life is lived, its honour and dignity, and how the end is faced: these things I value.
TBC
What things are Good? What things are Evil? Who are my Friends? Who are my Enemies?
Good and Evil
The Crocus and Grains are what is good. The purple of their flowers and the gold of the grains at harvest
And the people that work so hard to nurture them.
And the rains and streams that let them live.
The blights and diseases that cripple, blind, and slowly drain. The senseless slaughter of the innocent in their quiet farms by the forces of chaos. The deliberate torture of the land and its creatures and people. These are evils.
Friends and Enemies
The River has been our friend - it provides water and transport and its valleys sheltered us.
The Bison and Impala People have been our friends, they defended us - and we helped them against the Lunars. But friendship has its costs. We fought and lost against the Lunar Empire at the Battle of Moonbroth. Since then we do not give the Lunars an excuse to persecute us.
The Sun Dome has always been an ambivalent neighbour. They have coveted the yellow of our saffron and aid the Lunars. But without them, our markets would be smaller and the riches less.
My stepmother is my rival - not because I hate her or she me, but because she sees me as a threat to her children's position. Despite being the least favourite of my father's children, I am still his child.
The "Fine Fellows" Gang are my enemies. They taunt and belittle and may even attack, torture and kill.
And the forces of Chaos...Mustn't forget them. They occasionally come and despoil the fields, blight the farmsteads and murder their inhabitants. They need no cause and take joy from evil.
Who are my Gods and how do I serve them?
TBC
: Humakt
Cults of Prax 32-38
: Zola Fel
Pavis & Big Rubble. Pages 100-103
: Pavis
Pavis & Big Rubble. Pages 91-94
A lapsed lay member. May claim various rights as the daughter of a citizen. Cannot be a citizen as she is neither a man nor the owner of the clan's house (in which she resides).
: Voria
A cult of my childhood, and now long past. It was a phase that distracted me from the loss of my mother.
