Paksworld

Not on my birthday, thanks to Stuff, but in honor of.

In the far south, beyond the barren hills of sand that edge the coast, in the dry and rocky slopes that once supported three white towers near a great city, the Guardian of Guardians lifts a hand and the prayers cease. No voice disturbs the hiss of wind on rock and sand; even the children playing among the ruins are silent.

All look north, north to the coast few of them have seen, and beyond to the lands no Guardian has visited, across the Immerhoft Sea, beyond the forests and fields now called Aarenis, beyond the high gray mountains beloved of dwarves and the hills of the gnome princedoms to the lands where magelords live, who once lived here.

“Yes,” the Guardian says. “The veil is torn; the life of the land is revealed.”

……

A clue to those who were wondering if this new story would answer any questions left from the old ones…(evil grin)  Depending on editorial whim, this may or may not be part of a prologue to one or another volume.

The magelords moving north from Old Aare and Aarenis introduced the concept of “knights” to the north.   The Old Humans who lived in the north before the magelords came were not horsemen, though they knew of horses from the horse nomads north of them.

In the present day,  knights as such exist in Fintha, Tsaia, Lyonya, and Prealith.   Most are knighted as part of a specific order (Knights of Gird, Knights of Falk, Knights of the Bells)  but some are battlefield promotions of squires, knighted for deeds of valor.   Any knight may create a knight, though most leave that to the knightly orders. ..in the north, at least.  In Aarenis, knights are created individually more than in orders.  Knights of an order wear insignia indicating the order.

Read the rest of this entry »

Young people in Tsaian and Lyonyan society may be fostered with another family at several stages–for noble families, typically as pages (ages 7-10 or 12) or squires (ages 14-18ish.)   In addition to fosterage, there’s formal schooling in a boarding situation (like the young students in Fin Panir, including Aris Marrakai).   Nobles are more or less expected to take in a few of one another’s offspring .   This forms bonds between families (they hope), relieves some sibling rivalry (a forlorn hope, usually), and provides the “shared” young person with experiences most find valuable.

Read the rest of this entry »