Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

Hello! Here's the next part of Belatos Inkwood's exploration of Solunara.

He has just arrived to the city of Kiri Tassilé, a major trading hub of the Blossom Isles that is regarded as the cultural centre of Solunara.

I hope you enjoy it!

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Excerpt from ‘The Realm of the Diurnal Crown - Uncovering the Myths of Solunara’ by Belatos Inkwood

Part 3 - First Impressions

Much like Aurelith, the city we docked in was a bustling centre of commerce. Dareth told me the city was named Kiri Tassilé and was the main hub for trade between Solunara and Olyssar. The city was vast, filled with vibrant colours and a multitude of various goods, presumably both for import and export. I noted jewels, spices, and fine, vibrant cloths, all products that merchants at home would claim coming from Solunara, but I also found minerals, pearls, metals, tools, and foods such as fruit and fish around the harbour, though I could not tell if these goods were to be imported or exported.
Kiri Tassilé consisted of a vast harbour, stretching from one side of a bay to another, and the city stretched far into the blossoming jungle that I had noticed covered most of the landscape around the city. The buildings were a mix of woods, terracotta, marble, and some pink stone I suppose is native to this part of the world. All over the city hung vibrant and intricately patterned or decorated cloths, either to provide some shade, privacy, for sale, or drying, I suppose, but it might as well be a cultural or religious custom. Combined with the rich smells of the spices shipped from the city, along with the occasional singer, musician, or dancer, this place is sure to activate all of your external senses.
The predominance of performing arts in the city highlights some degree of prioritisation of these: In most other realms I have visited, and in some of them the great Thorndur Silverdraw has described, performing arts are primarily permitted in theaters or on special occasions such as festivals. Of course, I could have reached Kiri Tassilé during a festival, but conferring with Dareth Conaron, I learned that these performances are everyday sights. Thus, I conclude that the people of Kiri Tassilé prioritise the performing arts to a degree that is to me unseen.
Just like any other large city, and especially large port cities, Kiri Tassilé was bustling with life. While I could note a range of different species on the docks and on the different plazas of Kiri Tassilé, I gathered that the inhabitants of the city primarily consisted of avians, such as cranes, herons, and parrots, simians, such as macaques, gorillas, and baboons, and testudines, such as terrapins and tortoises. All of them were clean and wore fine silks and linens in all colours you could imagine.
Given the temperature of this region, it is obvious that these tropical species thrive here, but I cannot determine which species are native to these lands, and which have settled here. Non-native species can find new lands ideal if they are able to reach a settlement with the natives, either through forceful measures or through diplomacy. Far too many societies with mixed-species populations have been established on the basis of war and conflicts, so it is natural to assume that these lands carry a similar history.

I was fortunate enough that Dareth could put me in connection with a harbour official. If I should have any chance at learning about the society, I needed to first map out the official side. This will allow me to map out the social hierarchies in the realm, as well as class dynamics, economics, politics, both domestic and foreign, and the official religious beliefs. After mapping out the official part of the realm, a study in the private lives of the inhabitants will give an insight of the cultures and practices of the population.
As I was able to speak the language of the Olyssari, I managed to make myself intelligible with the harbour official. As I had expected, the people in the area could communicate with the Olyssari fairly easily, given their frequent interactions with each other.
I told the harbour official that I came from across the eastward ocean, and I explained to him my intentions of studying Solunara and that in our realm, Solunara was a mythical place: We knew it existed, given the goods we received from merchants, but we had no knowledge of what kind of society it housed. The harbour official did not seem to experience such interaction on any regular basis and suggested that I meet with the governor to discuss this matter.
The official called over what I reckoned was an apprentice, and after paying Dareth for my passage, I followed the apprentice through the city to some kind of legislative building.
As I went further inland, the houses began to give way for the local flora: Lustrous canopies of green, whites, pinks, and yellows stretched across the evening sky. The inland city was built less densely, with the buildings further apart, and the areas in between filled with jungle plants, ponds, and streams. The trees shed petals constantly, which, combined with the cityscape, gave a sense of the city being in a perpetual festival.
During our walk through the city, dusk fell upon the land. This was marked by two chimes of bells. In an instant, everyone stopped in their path or tasks, and turned westward toward the setting sun. Silence filled the city, as if life had suddenly disappeared. Some of the people bowed their heads, others bowed by the hips, while others remained standing. Soon, everyone had resumed their previous doings as if nothing had happened. The city sprawled with life once again, and the rather eerie silence had vanished just as swiftly as it appeared. This practice is undoubtedly a part of their culture and, assumingly, their religious beliefs, given everyone performed the act. Perhaps it may be some local religious practice to acknowledge the finishing of another sun?
The apprentice asked me to wait at the legislative building. While he discussed matters with the clerks, I had the opportunity to venture to the courtyard. A colonnade enclosed the area that, aside from paved walkways, contained a reflective pool covered in flowers, and six fairly small, gnarly trees spaced out around it. While I am no botanist or architect by any means, the design and elements a society utilises in their dominion is still of interest, as they tend to reflect, if not the most widespread beliefs and conviction, then at least those they want to display to others.
The reflective pool was circular, and the flowers were divided evenly into warm and cool colours on each half of the surface. If Solunara really is ruled by a Day King and Night King, I would presume this display in the reflective pool displays an equal reverence for their sovereigns. I must remember to take note of similar symbolism in other parts of the realm to ensure the correctness of my presumption.
The gnarly trees were spaced around the pool, almost evenly. They were considerably smaller than the towering canopies in the rest of Kiri Tassilé, and their canopies carried large flowers of marbled white and yellow. Given the nigh even planting of these trees, the number and species of these trees ought to have some symbolic meaning. I must investigate this matter to unveil some of the objects of cultural significance to these people.

After some time waiting in the courtyard, I was driven out of Kiri Tassilé headed for the city of Lioré. This is where I was to meet with Governor Laenis Bloomfig to discuss my work. I thus had a chance to experience the local Solunaran transportation: They drove me in a crystal-powered automotive vehicle. As I did not see many of these vehicles along the way, I suppose these are reserved for the wealthy beings of society.
We had driven for some time, and had reached a large bridge, as bells rang again. This time, I noticed that the driver and an official accompanying me murmured something. I suspected it might be yet another religious act, so I dared to ask the official about this. He explained that it is to acknowledge the Horizonfire. I questioned the official further to find out what he meant with ‘Horizonfire’. To put it simply, it is a ritual done at dawn and dusk to signify the transition between night and day. He told me that it can be put in a simple saying:
“When one flame dies, another rises.”
Here, I assume the official referred to the sun and moon, being the symbols of day and night, respectively. Or perhaps it could be a reference to the diarchical rule between the Day King and the Night King. Before I had the chance to ask him further questions, the vehicle stopped outside a manor. It was a fairly large building, surrounded by the flowering trees and lush vegetation that were all illuminated, not by flames, but by glowing crystals in the lamp posts. I was led inside and was received by the governor in a sitting room.
The rooms I was led through, and the sitting room itself was draped in these luxurious cloths and, to me, exotic trees. Naturally these materials are indigenous for the local people, so they most likely do not think highly of them. They might, however, be more interested in importing woods from our lands, as they would be considered exotic to them, while we use a great portion of them as fuel for our fires. Every room bore floral patterns and had some kind of floral arrangement to accentuate the room.
Governor Bloomfig, a heron, welcomed me to the Blossoming Isles. I admitted to her that I was told I had arrived in Solunara, and she confirmed that I was, in fact, in the Kingdom of Solunara, but that this region, the Blossoming Isles, is a more independent part of the realm, so they pride themselves of their regional individuality. Note, dear reader, that it is not uncommon for regions of a realm to pride themselves on being different from the other regions, which often results in dislike and competition between regions, which may be of a more or less friendly nature.
As the governor asked about me, I explained who I am, where I come from, and what my intentions were in Solunara: That I wanted to study the realm and its society, in order to demystify the society that in our own realm had been nothing but a legend. Governor Bloomfig expressed interest in my story and understood my interest. While she admitted she did not know of my realm, I assured her that I was far beyond what we at home would regard known territory, so I would not be surprised that neither of us knew anything the other: But this mission of mine was supposed to be the first step to bridge a connection between the realms.
While she would love to hear about the culture of our realm, she insisted that it would be better for me to meet with the Diurnal Crown, both because my visit should be regarded as a matter of diplomacy, but also because this, in her words, was the centre for all of Solunaran society. When prompted, she was polite to explain to me that Solunara in fact is ruled by two kings: One at daytime, and one at nighttime. They rule jointly as what is known as the Diurnal Crown. So the stories about Solunara were telling the truth in regards to it being a diarchy. The “two lions, one crown.” motto may still be valid today after all. This is indeed a unique constellation of society that might have a whole new blend of rule and culture that we already know of.
The governor made sure to arrange for my passage to Solhara, the capital of Solunara, and for my audience before the kings. In exchange, she wanted me to tell about our society and how we lived. Until my passage was secure and acknowledged, I happily shared my knowledge of our own and neighbouring realms.
As I departed for Solhara, Governor Bloomfig gifted me with some fine linen, a gift I told her I could not accept from someone of her rank, but she insisted and implied that it would be rude of me to deny the giver the joy of sharing. I reluctantly accepted and was sent on my way with a vassal of Bloomfig’s, partly to ensure my safe travels, and partly, I suspect, to ensure I have not falsified my intentions. To my luck, the vassal was pleasant company, so the further voyage was not limited by an overly cautionary surveyor.

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