Hello all. I intend this thread to be a semi-continuous updating treasure trove of both fiction and nonfiction (in the context of the in-game universe) snippets that have anything to do with Abagawa IV or the Abagawa system in general. It will be an ongoing project. I will add to the thread as time goes on. I also highly encourage anyone else interested in getting involved to message me on this forum, thread, or evemail so we can collaborate and make this virtual universe we play in a little more real and enjoyable. For now, I will limit this to ideas that relate to Abagawa, as that is what I want to focus on. So, if you have a neat idea for a children's tale, general short story, food description, etc etc, and it has to do with Abagawa then please message me!
Anyway, enjoy!
Also a bit of formatting navigation...I will italicize the titles of works that are fiction. They might be something you'd see in a children's storybook, or a story you hear a local Abagawan native tell you. Non-italicized titles will generally be something you might find on a GalNet wikipedia page, for example, or maybe an encyclopedia entry.
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Navigation
The Promise - A poem by an Abagawan native detailing the origins of the star above Satama
Parakone-Dylii Tea - An excerpt noting the discovery and rise of a popular Abagawan blend of tea
The Ark-Taki Festival - A brief introduction into the celestial event which holds a high prominence among Abagawan natives, and popularity among residents of the Forge
Death of Ohkira - A history of a now-abandoned ghost town nestled on an island in the northern hemisphere of Satama
The Windspeaker's Flute - An introduction into the unique tree which dots Satama's coastal equatorial regions, and the festival it inspired
Songs of the Gilhabi - Take an inside look into the origins of Makonen Island as a local tells you the tale which has been passed down for generations
The Twin Flames - A children's tale which blends local Abagawan folklore with Intaki spirituality
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The Promise
by Korsavius
Author's Note: I highly recommend you read this while listening to this song. Also, read it nice and slow. Enjoy! Promise me something, dearly beloved.
Yes? Anything!
Promise me you’ll shine on forever with your radiant beauty.
I will.
Promise me you’ll remember the love we had - how the flame burned so brightly.
I will.
Promise me you’ll share the warmth of our love with everyone.
I will.
Promise me you’ll share the liveliness you gave to me.
I will.
Promise me you’ll remember me.
I will.
Promise me...oh promise me, dearly beloved…
Oh, love, I promise, I promise!
With those final words, death claimed his love. Tears flooded his eyes. A shatter rippled through his heart. She was gone. But he made her a promise. And so he saw them through.
He promised her he would shine on forever with his radiant beauty, and so he became a star.
He promised her he would remember the love they shared - how the flame burned so brightly between them - and so he burned an intense orange hue.
He promised her he would share the warmth of their love with everyone, and so he warmed the cold worlds that danced around him.
He promised her he would share the liveliness he gave to her, and so he focused his life-giving essence on one particular world.
He promised her he would remember her, and so when he does he mourns her loss by releasing intense solar flares which echo through the system. They cause many beautiful aurora formations on different planets. A reminder of the love he and his beloved shared.
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Parakone-Dylii Tea
by Korsavius
Tashi Dylii was a manager for a farm owned by a Sukuuvestaa subsidiary corporation. The main product of this farm were tea leaves. Thus, Mr. Dylii developed quite the affection and knowledge of what makes a good tea drink. He would often experiment with different brews and ingredients. However, he was never quite satisfied with most of them. There was always something missing. Eventually, he managed to craft a tea he felt satisfied with. However, almost everyone he shared his tea with said they had tasted better tea before. Tashi felt defeated. He planned to share his brew with his co-workers for a small party, and he planned this to be the last time he made this specific brew. While crafting his tea mixture, he accidentally spilled tropical flower extract into the mix. He figured his co-workers would dislike his tea regardless if he stuck with the original formula or not so he served it to them anyway. The results shocked him. The accidental brew was met with overwhelming praise from his co-workers, who congratulated him on the sweet-and-tart mix. Tashi immediately sought a patent for his brew, which he called Parakone-Dylii. A few months later, the tea Mr. Dylii accidentally created became a staple tea export of Abagawa IV. Parakone-Dylii is a white tea that offers the drinker an initially sweet taste which subsides to a slight tart flavor.
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The Ark-Taki Festival
by Korsavius
The Ark-Taki Festival is a fairly renown event in the Okomon constellation, and The Forge in general. Abagawa IV experiences a huge influx of tourists for the half-decennial event in which the two moons of the planet, Sayesha and Maiyashi, experience synchronized full moon cycles for a month during the year. During this phenomena, the orange light emitted from the system’s host star cause the moons to radiate a fiery scarlet color. Thus, the name Ark-Taki, or Twin Flame, lends itself well. Tradition dictates that homeowners leave their doors and windows open on the first night and host celebrations in order to experience good fortune and prosperity for the next five years. One particular highlight of the festival is the launching of paper lanterns into the sky at midnight. In densely populated areas, it is not uncommon to see thousands of paper lanterns setting the sky ablaze in gentle beauty as they drift along with the winds. Together with the ever-present scarlet glimmer of the Twin Flame moons watching above, it is truly a sight to behold. In addition to this event, both locals and tourists also look forward to the seasonal Ark-Taki cuisines and treats. Among the most popular of these food items are firecakes, lava dumplings, and scorched ice cream.
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Death of Ohkira
by Korsavius
During the initial colonial phase of Abagawa IV, one of the blossoming settlements owned by the Sukuuvestaa Corporation was the city of Ohkira. Located on an island in the northern hemisphere, Ohkira showed promise to be an ideal location for a future starport and powerful trade city. The island was dominated by a volcano which had been inactive for thousands of years. Development of a secret facility carved into the volcano took place simultaneously with the development of the city. As time progressed, dozens of city residents began disappearing. No amount of investigation could turn up any leads. Finally, before mass paranoia could consume the city, Sukuuvestaa officials ordered and organized the evacuation of the entire island. Thousands of residents were quickly relocated to New Icousa. The evacuation was so sudden, many of them left behind personal belongings except for the clothes on their backs. This event is known as The Quiet Night amongst Abagawans, as many now-elderly witnesses recall the night air being full of confusion, fear, and silence. To this day, the island remains a restricted area. It is closely guarded by security drones. Viewing the island from afar will reveal a ghost town slowly being overrun by rampant natural growth. No one knows what happened to the dozens of disappeared locals, or why Sukuuvestaa ordered the evacuation - and no one likely ever will.
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The Windspeaker's Flute
by Korsavius
Nestled in the coastal equatorial regions of Abagawa IV are a species of trees which grow to a moderate height of twenty meters on average. They are called Windspeakers by Abagawa natives, and for good reason. The bases of these trees rarely grow more than a meter in diameter, and have a peculiar feature. Unique to every tree is a system of small tunnels usually a couple centimeters wide that wind through the base of the tree. This system of tunnels can be very complex for some trees or very simple for others. Regardless of the tunnel complexity, the end result is the same - these internal caverns produce flute-like melodies when wind flows through them. These tunnels remain closed for most of the year, and only open up for a short period of time during the Abagawan Spring. No two Windspeaker songs are exactly the same; the song of each tree is unique. Local folklore claims that the Caldari spirit, Wind-of-the-West, graced Abagawa IV with the gift of Windspeakers. Abagawa IV is the only planet in the Abagawa system capable of supporting life without the need of terraforming, so he bestowed the gift of lively music to the planet. It is said that whenever he roamed near, they would open their “flutes” and play their songs to celebrate his arrival. Interestingly enough, the trade winds (which are associated with Wind-of-the-West) on Abagawa IV are strongest during the Spring season, and the opening of the Windspeaker flutes signal the beginning of this natural occurrence. As a result, the opening of the Windspeaker flutes is cause for a yearly planetwide celebration. Gifts and food are traditionally set out for Wind-of-the-West in the hopes that he will bless individuals with a prosperous financial year. Locals generally gather near Windspeaker trees and dance to the rhythm of their melodies. It is an event that draws many visitors to the planet from all over the system.
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Songs of the Gilhabi
by Korsavius
Gather around, children. The night is still young, and there much storytelling to be done. Tonight, the theme is mythical legends! Do any of you object?
No? No, Ryo, put your hand down boy. Ancestor’s choke! Calm down, Ryo, you’re always misbehaving! You know, I know the perfect tale for children like you. Settle down, and we’ll hear it.
There, good boy. Now, let us begin.
Many ages ago, seafarers were honorable and heroes amongst the people. Being that, of course, we live on an island, seafarers were the lifeblood of our people. They went out near and far carrying our goods to sell and bringing those of other people to sustain us. Yes, this was a very honorable profession indeed.
For one reason or another, a demon took a liking to the seafarers of our island. A true monstrosity, this demon. Many wrecks were found of lashed and battered vessels. It was rare to find any survivors of this demon’s attacks. Survivors spoke of a serpent-like creature of black scaly skin with a metallic green shine. They spoke of an eerie moaning song that preceded the beginning of each attack. They spoke of horrible scenes from the demon’s attacks - of hearing the cries and screams of their friends being ripped limb from limb, and the snaps and cracks of wood as their vessels were torn asunder.
Particularly brave explorers came back with tales from other island people whom the demon terrorized. Their tales and descriptions of it were the same. They even had a name for it - the Gilhabi. Apparently the Gilhabi had a history of terrorizing island nations of seafarers. Our people were it’s next target.
The seafarers stopped their important duties for our people, and understandably so. As a result, our people suffered. A famine overcame the island, and people were too scared to leave for fear that the demon would lash out at them as well. This torture and suffering continued for weeks until finally one man took a stand. His name was Tau Makonen. A handsome fellow he was, with a pretty strong chin too! You know, come to think of it, he kind of looked like you, Ryo.
Anyway, Tau Makonen gathered the bravest men from our island to seek out the Gilhabi and slay it. It wasn’t an easy task, and many of our people had their doubts on the ambition of their goals. Still, he moved forward with the crew of twelve he gathered. A great feast was held the night before their departure. The brave thirteen men were showered with tokens and rituals of good luck. There was definitely a tinge of anxiety and hope in the atmosphere that night.
At dawn, Makonen and his men were greeted with an eerie fog as they were preparing to set out. Still, they carried on. As they made their way out of the port, the men took one last look at their home before the fog engulfed their view. What happened next was a bit of a mystery to our people. For three days, Makonen and his crew were out in the ocean. For three days, this same fog hung over the seas. On the third day, something strange happened. A terrible wailing sound was heard from off in the distance. As the day was settling, a warm trade wind came in to finally lift the fog from the seas. Our people took this as a sign that Makonen had won. They eagerly awaited his arrival for many days. Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. The thirteen men never returned. The Gilhabi was never seen again. In honor of their apparent sacrifice, our island was rechristened Makonen Island. A monument dedicated to the thirteen men was erected in a plaza near the harbor. Legend has it that if you can still hear the songs as the Gilhabi on foggy days. And should the demon ever return, so too shall Makonen and his crew to slay it once more.
And there you have it children. This tale has been passed down for generations. Maybe one day when you get to be my age, you too will tell the young ones about the Songs of the Gilhabi.
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The Twin Flames
by Zenariae and Korsavius
Father gave his orange light to them, a gift to his children, two sisters in the skies above Satama. Sayesha and Maiyashi burned luminous in this sky and there was no fire as radiant in the universe, for the Winds blew strong here and fanned the dark void with the promise of plenty. Food and land, though, was scarce in the sky-world, so Sayesha and Maiyashi came to Satama and brought their fire with them. Making camp, they laid their fire rods unprotected upon the ground and set out to hunt and claim all the land they could see, so that none may go hungry or want for shelter. They were gone an age, and the fire rods became restless for the return of their mistresses and taunted each other playfully amongst the fields and forests for fun, their game becoming more and more boisterous. A great flame erupted and engulfed the trees as they caught alight, torching all that could be seen. Everything was reduced to a poisonous cinder, and the bitter clouds of dark ashes spilled across the sky and all over the lands and all the seas. Seeing this disaster, the Winds scurried to winnow the terrible smoke from the world and called the sisters to return, for without control of their fire, Sayesha and Maiyashi brought only hardship and famine, and there would be no ground nor soil for anyone. The sisters hurried to gather up their fire rods and took them back to the sky-world, where they burn now only every five years when the Winds rouse strongly to rekindle the promise. A burning cinder though, remained, and gave men the command of fire to forge their own worlds.
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Topic: [Worldbuilding] Tales From Abagawa (Read 2861 times)