The Clockwork Jungle [Old Thread]

[Polycarp]

Sounds good.  By the way, don't forget to take a badge:

(This is a slightly updated one that doesn't look quite as horrible, so you other folks with them can switch yours out for this one if you like.  It also links to the wiki, which is probably better than the thread at this point.)

[LD]

Polycarp! If you just replace the old image, then everyone who was linking to the hyperlink should autoupdate to the new one.

[Polycarp]

Polycarp! If you just replace the old image, then everyone who was linking to the hyperlink should autoupdate to the new one.

I just did that.  There hasn't been a change yet, but maybe the administrator just has to ok it first.

In any case, anyone who still has the badge should still give it a look, because it'd be better at this point for it to link to the wiki instead of the thread (now that the most comprehensive and up to date resource is the wiki).

[LD]

Hm. Strange. Oh well, I ran into the problem sometimes on Photobucket when I uploaded things and the file didn't really overwrite. It may just be a matter of time.

[Elemental_Elf]

It may just be a matter of time.

Photobucket is very slow about this type of thing. Some times one has to clear one's cookies/cashe to get the update, other times it just takes time...

[Polycarp]

Photobucket isn't the problem here.  In this case, the .gif was uploaded with the CBG's own upload page, which is why I noted that it will probably have to wait for an administrator to approve it (as the upload page notes).

[Polycarp]

[ic=A Voice from the Crisis]The softest breath can stir the mightiest machine.
- Kuzzun, Tahr revolutionary[/ic]

The Breath

[/size][/b]

To breathe is to live.  Even the Umbril breathe, albeit through their porous skins instead of their mouths.  The Forest breathes clear, humid air; the Plain breathes ash and sulphur.  Like many cultures of Earth, the peoples of the Clockwork Jungle believe in a 'breath of life,' a unifying and ever-present vital substance that is integral to life itself.  This is nothing unique to this world; the concepts of qi (or ki, or chi), prana, pneuma, and so on all translate into 'breath,' 'air,' or similar concepts.  As with every culture, the races of the Clockwork Jungle have their own interpretations of this force, which grants not only life, but powers we could only describe as 'magic.'

The universal breath is known by many names, all of which have approximately the same translation.  In the Luminous Tongue of the Iskites, it is shola ('wind') or s†"ss (An onomatopoeia of breathing; it is pronounced with a sharply inhaled 's' followed by a longer exhaled one that trails off.  Such an ingressive s is a regular consonant in Iskite languages).  In Gheen dialects it is kheel (Red Gheen), khey (Shield Gheen), jeel (Chalice Gheen), or something similar.  The Umbril have their own word, veth (or vath in the Netai dialect).  To the Tahr, it is undu (or a similar word), which refers specifically to 'continuous air' or circle-breathing.
[note=Naming]Here, this concept will be called by the scholarly Iskite name, shola (pronounced shō'lÉ), for ease of use.  Because of the very low deviation in Iskite dialects, the LT is the single most widely known language, the only reason why I use it instead of the universal breath's other myriad names.[/note]
This concept is not an esoteric one.  It is not ancient lore, or the sole dominion of philosophers or sorcerers.  On the contrary, it is as well known as breathing itself.  It is understood as both physical and metaphorical; shola is both the actual inhalation and exhalation of a living being and the essence of life, energy, and motion.   For the four races, it is an integral part of everyday life.  Shola, in some form or another, forms the basis of ancient and modern theories of medicine, music, metaphysics, and even martial arts.

Magic[/b]

Just as air circulates in and out of bodies and from one being to another, shola moves constantly.  Every living thing makes up but a single drop of a vast river that flows continuously.  For most, this is an unconscious process, but just like breathing itself, one can choose to breathe consciously.  One can decide to master one's own body, and through it, one's own universal breath.
[note=Magic]Those who've read this thread know this is hardly the first post on magic in the CJ that I've made.  It may not be the last, either, but at present it's my favorite conception of how I want things to work.  I realize it's vague on details right now, but a solid foundation in theory is important too![/note]
Mastering shola is much like a martial art: In theory, anyone can do it, but in practice most do not have the dedication, motivation, clarity of purpose, self-control, or simply the time to do so.  Like martial arts, there is some synergy with other activities of life; a skilled martial artist may find that the focus they developed applies to other aspects of their life, or that their increased physical fitness aids them in other pursuits.  The reverse is also true, as skills one learns elsewhere can be applied and honed by a martial art.  The same is true of shola and its mastery.  One who learns focus and dedication in the pursuit of excellence in one's craft also gains insight into the way of the shola, and great masters (whether they are farmers, soldiers, or writers) are believed to have greater literal control of the breath as well as a greater ability than the average person to manipulate shola itself.  For most of these masters, however, this control is unconscious, merely a byproduct of their great skill.

Those who truly seek to master the shola pursue it as its own end, and if they are successful, they can unlock the power that has always dwelled within them as living vessels of the universal breath.  They can gain conscious control of the ebb and flow of shola within them, and may even gain the power to imbue it within others '" or draw it from them.  One who accomplishes this can perform feats no untrained person could ever accomplish.  This, to a native of the Clockwork Jungle, is what is meant by magic.

Paths[/b]

Just like 'breath' itself, there are many words for 'magic' (or more precisely, the art of mastering shola), but all of them essentially translate to 'breathing control.'  For the beginner, this is literal; initiates practice conscious mastery of inhalation and exhalation, usually in conjunction with meditation and trance-like states.  The differing schools of thought on breathing control have been honed through the ages, some compiled and recorded on paper, and some passed down orally from master to pupil.

Aseng, derived from the LT word as†"nge (tranquility), is the path of mastery through 'unlearning.'  Followers of Aseng attempt to contemplate the Breath by emptying their mind and quelling the turbulent spirit until one is conscious of only the Breath.  Prolonged meditation is used to winnow away thoughts, assumptions, urges, and emotions until a state of pure tranquility is reached.  Aseng tends to be a long path, and is most prevalent among the Iskites, who have been known to introduce elements of the school into their hatcheries to begin the understanding of the shola at an early age.

Aveieth, literally 'path of the veil,' is the path of mastery through the use of psychoactive substances, or 'entheogens.'  Followers of the 'Aveimezan's mysteries,' as it is sometimes called, grasp at the higher essence of the shola by expanding their own consciousness.  Different substances, or combinations of many, are used by different practitioners.   Aveieth is considered a very difficult path because not every mind can make sense of divine reality when it is glimpsed directly through the mind's eye, but its supporters say it allows one to more quickly grasp the true nature of the Breath, unshackled as one is by 'normal' perception.  Aveieth was originally an Umbril art, but it is also popular among the Tahro.

Wekor, 'activity,' is a Tahr path to mastery that utilizes physical exertion.  Followers of Wekor, observing that strenuous physical activity requires greater inhalation, seek the shola in pushing the limits of their physical stamina.  Prolonged physical stress is believed to increase one's circulation of the Breath, and this allows a practitioner to directly observe how it flows within the physical world.  Once this 'physical mastery' is achieved, its supporters maintain, 'mental mastery' follows quickly.  Wekor is physically demanding, and followers actively seek to reach a 'breaking point' near exhaustion (or death itself) at which the Breath is most starkly present.  It is a physically demanding path, but one that may be easier for those who have difficulty grasping the more intellectual schools.

Farzun, 'denial,' is the path of mastery through asceticism.  Followers of Farzun believe that the experience of material things impedes understanding of the Breath, and seek to deny themselves the pleasures of the world by fasting, renunciation of luxuries, and even self-flagellation.  The practitioner of Farzun clears their mind and body from distractions and temptations and strips down their self to bare existence in order to closely perceive the shola.  There are many different varieties and traditions of Farzun practiced by multiple cultures and races, though the Gheen tend to spurn this school.  For those with the will power to see it through, it can be a very fast and powerful avenue to mastery.

Seevan, from the Red Gheen seev (wrath) and yvan (joy, delight), is the path of mastery through personal devotion.  The follower of Seevan attempts to overcome unfocused and counterproductive thoughts and urges; in this way, it is similar to Aseng, but it quickly diverges from that.  The Seevan practitioner 'unlearns' these things by channeling a strong emotional link in their past, whether of love, hatred, vengeance, or a duty to others.  Its proponents believe that getting in touch with one's strongest and most elemental feelings accesses one's true nature, where the shola is felt most readily.  It is a highly variable path because every practitioner will have a different source, but those without a very powerful emotional attachment have no hope of learning it.  It is a common path among the Gheen, who developed it, but is sometimes learned by the Tahro and Ussik as well.

Engej, literally 'synthesis' or 'union' in the LT, is not truly a path in itself, but the combination of two or more of the above paths.  It refers to practitioners who seek to combine elements of varying traditions in the hope of finding a more perfect knowledge of the shola.  Some paths are in opposition to each other, but others are considered by some to be complimentary.  There is great disagreement as to whether Engej or a 'pure' way to the Breath is preferable.

Disciplines[/b]

As mentioned, the basis of magic is the physical practice of breath control.  This foundation is known as the 'first discipline,' or 'simple breathing.'  Those who master this foundation are accepted as novices of the art, if not true 'magic-users.'  Even these novices are capable of borderline-supernatural feats, such as the ability to hold one's breath for a very long time, increase one's physical stamina and mental concentration, and even sustain themselves temporarily without such necessities as food, water, or sleep.  Because of its broad applications, the first discipline is relatively widespread among those with the time and will to do it.  In particular, many adventurers (perhaps even most) find it worthwhile to reach this low level of mastery of the shola, regardless of their personal skills or interests.

From here, the path of mastery diverges into a number of different disciplines.  Their practitioners may argue that their own chosen path is superior to the others, but they are each means of accomplishing separate aims.  Some argue that different methods of perceiving the Breath are more suited to certain disciplines than others.

Imbuement
Also called the Path of the Blue Hand, imbuement is the discipline of those who breathe life into others.  Imbuers can greatly speed healing, remove fatigue, heal sickness, and enhance the strength and focus of those they choose to aid.  The Imbuer is highly esteemed and appreciated for his mastery, but is unable to aid himself with his own abilities.

Siphoning
Siphoning, called the Path of the Red Hand, deals with the drawing of life from others.  Siphoners heal and strengthen themselves at the expense of other beings, weakening and exhausting them.  It is said that great masters of the discipline can even steal the breath of others entirely, causing immediate death.  The Siphoner can diminish his enemies and aid himself, but can do nothing for his allies.

Aspection
Aspection is the practice of altering the character of shola, taking advantage of the currents and eddies that make one's mind and body unique.  The Aspectioner can use the universal breath to assume the characteristics of others.  There are tales that a true master of the discipline can even adopt 'Mylsegemmen's Art' and assume the form of others.  An aspectioner has a wide array of subtle (and a rare few unsubtle) powers at his command, but few of them can be used in the heat of the moment, requiring extensive meditation and preparation beforehand.

Binding
Binding involves strengthening the flow of the shola between beings, thus establishing a link between them.  Binders cannot draw life from or give life to another as Siphoners and Imbuers can, but instead are able to expand their awareness into others, seeing through their eyes or exchanging thoughts with them.  Binders have few 'combat' powers at their disposal, but can gain a distinct advantage in knowledge and perception through their mastery of the currents of life.

Breath, Cogs, and the Peril[/b]

To us, Cogs appear as machines, not living things.  In the Clockwork Jungle, however, Cogs are perceived as at least 'pseudo-living' '" just like organic creatures, they subsist off the Breath, though they do not experience it like other living things do.  Instead, they function off a subtle siphoning effect by which they draw traces of the Breath from the currents created by shola practitioners ('magic,' if you will).  The barest trace of the Breath used in this way can sustain a Cog for months.  The disciplines of shola mastery are thus equally effective on Cogs as they are upon organic creatures (though a Cog that is drained of the Breath through siphoning will merely deactivate rather than die, and will re-activate if the Breath is channeled again nearby).
[note=Quotes]Thus, when Kuzzun speaks at the beginning of this article, he intends two meanings.  On one level, he is stating a literal truth '" even the smallest channeling of the Breath can awaken the mightiest of Cogs.  On another level, he is using this as a metaphor to propose that even the meek can challenge the mighty, not an unusual statement for a key leader of the popular revolt that overturned more than a century of autocratic Oranid rule over the Netai.  Neither meaning would escape a native of the Clockwork Jungle.[/note]
The relationship between the Saffron Moss and the shola is murky.  Unlike Cogs, abominations do not seem to have shola within them.  They are impervious to the channeling of even the most powerful masters.  Some theorize that the Saffron Moss controls a 'fell breath,' a counter-force that is analogous to the shola but originating only from the Peril.  Because masters of the Breath cannot perceive this hypothetical force, however, it is impossible to say for certain.  A few have suggested that the powers of divination bestowed by the Peril through the Oracle Tree were expressions of this counter-force, and that its existence explains why the Peril is able to animate Cogs that it grows upon.

Though they have never been confirmed, there are tales of 'Perilous masters,' Saffronites who can use the Breath of the Saffron Moss like masters of the shola channel the Breath of life.  If such power exists, it is uncertain whether it is restricted to the foresight of the Prophets, or whether a Perilous master could reproduce the powers of a shola master as well.  Certainly this power is not something any sane person would seek; the Peril granted its power once before, and the prophets who unwittingly took it ended up slaves to its will.

[Superfluous Crow]

Two questions for the less obvious of the disciplines:
Aspection - this sounds like shapechanging powers, yes? To what degree is it possible? It sounds like very powerful Aspectioners could take on forms of animals and such, and that weak ones can change their faces slightly, but what lies in between. Could they strengthen their muscles and improve their eyes etc.?
Binding - Do "bound" individuals become gestalt? That is, something more than the sum of their shared senses. Say, if they bind their eyes together do they both get improved vision, can they just see from a different angle, or does one improve while the other declines? (the last one seems to be more of a Siphoning skill)

[Polycarp]

Aspection - this sounds like shapechanging powers, yes? To what degree is it possible? It sounds like very powerful Aspectioners could take on forms of animals and such, and that weak ones can change their faces slightly, but what lies in between. Could they strengthen their muscles and improve their eyes etc.?

shola[/i] (save the Saffron Moss), the character is not limited to animal aspects - one could potentially gain strength from standing in sunlight, like a plant, or make oneself immune to pain, like a Cog.  Like the other disciplines, most powers of Aspection are things that are not obvious to others, shapechanging being the "master-level" exception.

Binding - Do "bound" individuals become gestalt? That is, something more than the sum of their shared senses. Say, if they bind their eyes together do they both get improved vision, can they just see from a different angle, or does one improve while the other declines? (the last one seems to be more of a Siphoning skill)

general[/i], Binding neither gives penalties (like Siphoning) or direct bonuses (like Imbuement or Aspection), but creates unique magical effects like these.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

So now that I'm back in town, I'm starting to read through this again.

Tahro

Their living groups are quite small, and they neither cultivate the earth nor forge metals.

choosing to live under the shadow of aliens rather than embrace the power of the Oracle Tree.[/quote]A Tahr must have a significant kill to his or her name, usually of some large game animal or a reasonably dangerous predator (though in times of war, an alien may suffice).[/quote]Tahr mates endure the same "marriage" ceremony year after year.[/quote]They recognize that there are beings much powerful than themselves, but deny that power in the physical world necessarily translates into power in the spiritual one '" a powerful entity may kill you, but it cannot extinguish your spirit.[/quote]
I like this line.


I'll look into the last race soon.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Umbril
Definitely the most original race I've seen in a while. At first I thought they would be similar to D&D's myconids, but they seem much more thought-out. The gills and sounds are a fair surprise--it takes them in a less obvious direction.

Their name seems reminiscent of "umbral," meaning within shadow. Is this intentional?

You've got a lot of details on their family structure. This must really be one of your favorites, I'm guessing?

Getting slimy when you get old. That's...nice.

The 'right to live' is something one earns and jealously defends from others, not something one is born with.

Warfare[/b]
You mention before they are stocky and not particularly dexterous. How do they hold up against others in melee? Can they use weapons with enough skill to spar with more agile races?

If their bodies are made of fungus, are they particularly harmed by weapons? Is being stabbed a deadly threat to a fungus?

They consider oratory to be superior to music, but do use simple instruments (primarily percussion and wind) to accompany a speech or poem, or during certain religious events. Music is at most a passing hobby for them, and Umbril colonies have no "musicians" as such.

The image of mushroom men jamming in a drum and flute quartet is now stuck in my head.

Nice details on the decomposing pits and mold flavoring.

"Poetry is both precise and vague" seems hard to reconcile, no matter how you describe it from there on out.

I haven't yet read the separate page on Ivetziven. However, my gut reaction is that the umbril worshiping the "Prince of Fungi" is more obvious than most of the rest of the race you've crafted. Almost every other aspect of the culture seems original and surprising. While worshiping a super fungi seems more like something you'd expect from a stock D&D race. But maybe it's important to other aspects of the setting--like I said, I haven't read the other page.

Overall this is probably my favorite of the four civilized races. Not so much from a play standpoint, I doubt it's the race I'd choose to play, but from a design standpoint.

[Polycarp]

Welcome back!

Tahro

"Alien" is used in this setting as a term that a member of one of the "civilized races" uses to describe those of the other races.  The term is really a perfect one, associations with "little green men" notwithstanding.  I can't use "other demihumans" (like D&D does) or similar phrases for obvious reasons.  If you met any of these creatures in real life, you'd likely call them aliens, and it seems like what they'd call each other.

For comparison, foreigners usually means those from another locale or community, particularly if they're of your same race.  That can be combined to make foreign aliens; this is redundant if you're living in a racially homogeneous village, but if you live in a multi-racial city or town it can be important to distinguish from "local" aliens, who at least share parts of your culture, and aliens who are really, truly "alien" to you.

The Tahro do use weapons, and they use them quite well.  Just because they don't forge their own iron doesn't mean they don't trade for iron weapons with others, or make Cogsteel items from the Cogs they fill.  As for the creatures they are expected to kill to reach adulthood, I'm still working on the beast roster for this setting.  I'll try to remember to edit that when I've got a bigger cast of characters.  As for food, the Tahro are omnivores, more acclimated to meat-eating than "regular monkeys."  Hunting also fulfills cultural and social purposes, so even if a blood could remain sedentary by conserving the local game supply, it would have serious consequences for their traditions.  They have made the hunt central to their existence and they can't scale back without seriously rethinking the way they live (and, as traditionalists, they're not eager to do this).

For marriages, "endure" is probably the best word, because there is no Tahr ceremony of any kind that doesn't involve at least some feats of strength/endurance and marriage is no exception. :)

Umbril

It's true, the Umbril are one of my favorites, mostly because I wasn't limited by normal mammal/reptilian physiology and sex.  Their name does come from umbral, but also from umber (a color of earth and the soil, which the Umbril spend their childhood in).  Apparently "umbril" is also a synonym for "umbrere," which means a sunshade (related to umbrella).  Umbrellas do look a little like mushrooms, I suppose.

The Umbril generally aren't the best melee warriors; they don't have Tahr strength and aren't as quick as the Iskites.  They are, however, stronger and more durable than the Gheen.  To make up for their disadvantages against other races, they use a great deal of poisons and stage ambushes with plenty of missile weapons (the repeating crossbow is their invention).  Being able to blow spore-clouds at people doesn't hurt either.

The Umbril are more animal-like than a simple mushroom.  I think of them as embodying "convergent evolution," in which unrelated species develop similar structures - they aren't even slightly related to animals, but have developed some similar adaptations to adapt to their surroundings.  For instance, the Umbril have a circulatory system (as anything of that size would have to in order to bring nutrients to all parts of the body).  I don't consider them any more or less vulnerable to weapons than members of the other races.  Notably, they can still bleed to death.

Read the article on Ivetziven - "prince" is probably a bad translation in this case, because ivet literally means "base, foundation" (see the wiki article on Ivet).  Ivetziven is literally believed to be the network of mycelia that underlies the world, the underground counterpart to the Forest that inevitably devours all things.  I guess it's a "super-fungi" in some sense, but not just a "godly umbril" - it's a underlying force of the world.

As with the other races, however, the Umbril are individuals, and there are plenty that belong to other cults or worship other gods.  Likewise, the Umbril aren't the only ones who worship the facets of Ivetziven.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Regions
Interesting. So the Forest covers the entire world except the Plain? Is it a planet? Or are you choosing not to reveal this for the sake of mystery?

Have you considered a more detailed map? Most of CJ is so colorful, a beautiful full-color map might be (though difficult) a wonderful addition.

The pics on the forum add a lot.

Unrelated to anything in particular: a slightly larger margin might be good for the nav bar. In FF it edges really close to the text.

I like the In/Out idea. Really creates a centralized feel.

Any special name for the area beyond the known world? Something to evoke its danger/mystery?

You might consider a one-line description of the super regions linked to on this page.

[Polycarp]

Interesting. So the Forest covers the entire world except the Plain? Is it a planet? Or are you choosing not to reveal this for the sake of mystery?

Almost[/i] the entire world.  Obviously, bodies of water have no forest on them, but there are also mountainous areas above the treeline which are (by definition) unforested.

Have you considered a more detailed map? Most of CJ is so colorful, a beautiful full-color map might be (though difficult) a wonderful addition.

Unrelated to anything in particular: a slightly larger margin might be good for the nav bar. In FF it edges really close to the text.[/quote]Any special name for the area beyond the known world? Something to evoke its danger/mystery?[/quote]Any suggestions? :)

[Polycarp]

[ic=Akhele Yauree is Cast Out]Go on, reign as Queen of the Wastelands, you slavering bloodless bitch!  Sleep with the Golhai and trouble us no more!
- The Queen of Yeelya mocking Khee Akhele Yauree (later Queen of the Rookery)[/ic]

The Rookery

[/b][/size]

'Drey' calls a certain image to mind, whether one is Gheen or alien '" that of a treetop village, a colorful and seemingly chaotic jumble of platforms, huts, halls, and perches nestled in a sun-dappled canopy high above the Forest floor.  Indeed, this is the usual form a drey takes, regardless of where one travels in the Clockwork Jungle.  Where the colossal trees of the high forest do not grow, however, there can be no drey '" except, of course, for the Rookery, where rock pinnacles stand in for the tall trees and khautas glide like lazy dragonflies among the dwellings and rock shelters.

The 'threefold mountain' upon which the Rookery lies has several competing myths as to its origins.  According to some, it was once a single mountain with a cavernous subterranean hall at its center.  Like most of the caverns of the Chalklands, it belonged to the Golhai, but their incessant beating of their drums caused the cavern to collapse.  Most of the hollow mountain's slopes caved in, save three massive shards of craggy limestone that now appear as the three great spires of the Rookery.  Other myths assert that the spires were formed purposefully by various gods or Elder Wyrms, possibly as an omen to indicate to the city's eventual founders that this was a fortuitous place to settle.

The spires are generally quite vertical save at the base, where they broaden and intersect, appearing to form a single outcropping that splits into three pinnacles.  Most of the city itself is nestled in the steep-sided defile between the spires, which rises about 300 feet from the ground at the mountain's base.  The dwellings are carved out of the rock, though many have wooden facades or porches that lead into the actual rock dwelling that make them look like buildings that are halfway sunken into the ground.  Narrow hewn paths wind their way between buildings and entrances, becoming steeper as they ascend the bases of the spires until they must be replaced by rope ladders, spiral stairs, and treadwheel-powered lifts.  The sheer sides of the spires above are riddled with houses, caverns, and open perches just like the great trees of a Gheen drey.  The aforementioned means of ascent, as well as precarious-looking rope bridges that string the spires together, are a concession to aliens (as the Gheen normally do not link the platforms of their tree villages together, preferring to jump and glide between them).  It would be otherwise quite impossible for a non-Gheen to travel between the main section of the Rookery and the khauta docks on the city's peaks.

Below the bases of the spires where most of the city lies, the mountain's slopes have been carved into narrow terraces upon which a vast orchard grows.  The trees provide the residents with food and other goods, but they are not the only example of greenery.  Numerous vines and creepers grow from cracks in the rocks, as common on delicately carved walls and hewn surfaces as on natural slopes and boulders.  They grow with the normal speed of the Forest, and must sometimes be trimmed back to avoid damage to houses and other buildings.  These lower slopes of the mountain are steep but not insurmountable for a climber.  For land caravans, a few paths are hewn into the mountainside and wind their way up the terraces into the city.

The Chalklands are known as an inhospitable region partially because of the scarcity of surface water.  The porous limestone greedily swallows up the region's brooks and rivers, ushering them into the lightless worlds below where they generally out of reach of 'lightlings' (as the Golhai call surface-dwellers).  The Rookery exists solely because of a singular mechanical marvel: Yauree's Fan.  Like much of the region, the Threefold Mountain is riddled with caves, and at the mountain's base these caves merge in a vast water-filled chamber, an underground lake of considerable size.  Yauree's Fan is a windpump (like a windmill, but it pumps water instead of griding grain) that rises a hundred feet from the center of the city.  The windpump is a wooden tower with four sails on a freely rotating cap that moves with the direction of the winds that howl through the spires.  The water is pulled up from the lake below and flows down through a haphazard assembly of copper pipes and wooden sluices; most ends up in large cisterns at the base of the spires, but some of the more influential residents have their own pipe that provides them with water in their house.  Originally, the mountain had several springs from which the first settlers procured water, but the Fan has stabilized and lowered the local water table and these springs have been dry for generations.

The dry caves between the city and the underground lake are largely unexplored.  A group of delvers was originally sent below to establish the draw pipe to the Fan, but the residents otherwise have no interest in the caverns '" in the Clockwork Jungle, caverns (especially those in the Chalklands) are assumed to be the territory of the Golhai, who are understood as depraved, sorcerous predators that enjoy the suffering of their prey.  No reliable sighting of a Golha has ever been made in the caverns below the city, but the assumption persists.  Some surfacers do go this way, however '" though the city is too small to have a real 'underclass,' some of those who do not wish to be found (for a variety of reasons) escape into the natural caverns below.  There are other caves and carved-out 'cells' where religious hermits and ascetics live, who relish these spartan quarters as a way to prove their devotion or cleanse themselves of worldly desires.  The number of such 'delvers' who live below the city is unknown, but it cannot be too great, as there is no real source of food there.  Theft in the city is infrequent, but when it happens it is generally blamed on 'mad delvers.'  In general, the city pretends the delvers do not exist save as petty thieves and mildly threatening bogeymen to scare children with.

History

Traditional Gheen society does not lend itself readily to city life.  The Gheen think, act, and live in terms of the family, and to live apart from them '" indeed, in a teeming throng of strangers '" is completely alien.  Up to the present age, the only Gheen known in the Forest's few large communities were eccentrics, loners, and outcasts who had made a break with the ways of their people.  A city of Gheen was unthinkable.  The ever-changing world, however, has a way of overcoming the certainties of old and turning the unthinkable into the inevitable.

The Skyshield, one of the three so-called 'motherlands' of the Gheen, has always been relatively isolated despite its central location in the known world.  Bordered by the wild and dangerous marshes of the Chokereed, the white-capped wastes of the Chalklands, the hellish Obsidian Plain, and the forbidding mountains of the Halberd Spires, only the region's vague border with the Greenwash presents an avenue of entry for all but the most enterprising foreigners and aliens.  It was the Skyshield's isolation that prevented it from the scourge of the First Horde in the darkest days of the Recentering, but it fully felt the after-effects.  Displaced by war and banditry, refugees from other lands '" Gheen and non-Gheen alike '" began migrating from the Wash and into the Skyshield.  They contributed to the turmoil that already existed in the wake of the destruction of the Dominion Tree and the Diviner's Wrath, which had severely weakened any ability the local Gheen had to resist the infiltration of their territory by foreigners and aliens.

Though some conflicts did arise between aliens and the natives, often these new refugees were allowed to remain and build new communities.  After all, they were not tree-dwellers and had no interest in the canopy world of the Gheen.  It was through this 'settling of the ground' that the Skyshield Gheen became exposed to new ideas and customs.  As the Recentering faded, the newcomers began to bring caravans of goods from the communities of the Wash '" particularly White Lotus, which itself was becoming one of the focal points of a small but growing circle of trade around the Obsidian Plain.  The Skyshield was to contribute to the Black Circle route in an essential way, for it was a Skyshield Gheen who invented the khauta, and with it a new method of carrying goods around the edge of the Plain.

The Gheen communities of the Inner Skyshield became increasingly involved with the Black Circle route, some of them becoming occasional stopping points for air and land-borne merchants.  The Chalklands, however, formed a gap in the route where no civilization dwelled.  This was seen as an opportunity by Khee Akhele Yauree, the matriarch of the House of Akhele.  Her family held no royal titles and was at best a marginal power in the dreys in which it existed.  Akhele Yauree forged an agreement with two other Gheen families in similar situations, the Osheel and the Eeka, to found a new drey near the border of the Chalklands.  Existing dreys near this border, however (including Yeelya, whose Queen famously excoriated Akhele Yauree in an ironically prophetic fashion), were not happy with this rather obvious attempt to steal their choice positions on the route, and attacked the migrants in an attempt to break and disperse them.  Akhele Yauree and her followers fled into the Chalklands, and founded a new drey within a curious mountain with three peaks, which Akhele Yauree took as a sign of favor (for it represented the Three Families).  Officially, the name of the drey has always been Yaureechay, meaning 'Yauree's Haven,' but this is used only as a colloquialism by the city's own Gheen residents.  To all others, it is known as the Rookery.

People and Politics

The city's population is primarily Gheen; up to a generation after its founding, they approached 100% of the city's residents, but in present days the figure is closer to 70%.  The remainder are mostly Tahro and Umbril.  Owing to their natural (and mutual) antipathy towards the Gheen, Iskites are rather rare here as permanent residents, though a few Ussik do call the Rookery home.

Most residents live in extensive house complexes; the Gheen live with their extended family, and a single 'dwelling' often has between 20 and 40 residents (including kits).  These 'estates' are well-known, and neighborhoods of the city are known chiefly by which important families live there.  Aliens, as well as Gheen who do not have a large family presence in the city, live in smaller but similarly-made dwellings squeezed between the large estates.  The city has no inns or other public places for visitors '" instead, travelers are given lodging by the great estates in one of their many rooms.  Some come to a long-term agreement with a family and stay for months or years, becoming a useful advisor or retainer for a Gheen house.  This custom of 'alien cadres' (Shield Gheen: trlek yeeru, or simply yeeru, meaning 'confidant, co-conspirator') is apparently unique to the Rookery, where non-Gheen dedicated to a particular family can reach comparatively high levels of responsibility and importance despite not being connected to the family by blood.  One notable example is the Ajen-Umbril Vath-Elun Mafan, the 'right-hand alien' of the Eekan matriarch and reportedly the mastermind behind most of the city's trade agreements.

The Rookery is ruled by its Queen, and the current Queen is Eechol Akhele Sheel, the direct female-line descendent of Akhele Yauree.  The rule of the House of Akhele has been unbroken since the city's founding, but it is not absolute.  The Queen is the leader of the Sororal Conclave, a council of matriarchs from all the major Gheen families of the city.  This body debates issues of import and makes decisions on them through majority rule.  The Queen may veto their decision, unless both the matriarchs of the Osheel and the Eeka (the other two 'founding families' of the city) oppose the Queen's veto.  As with most Gheen politics, however, most real decision-making gets done behind the scenes in private sitting rooms and sweat dens.  This oligarchic mode of governance excludes the say of any aliens or Gheen unrelated to a major family, but this is not really any worse than the similarly exclusive government of White Lotus (or, for that matter, the complete and impenetrable autocracy of the City of Orpiment).

Akhele Sheel's first consort is Khol Yrta Ukalyk, whose family name is familiar to many '" he is a member of the House of Yrta and a cousin of Auk Yrta Su'u herself, known to most as the World-Queen.  His marriage to the Queen of the Rookery is the capstone of a formal 'pledge of friendship' between the Rookery and the Yrtan Empire.  This alliance, however, is no more than a gesture of racial and royal solidarity, for the Queen of the Rookery neither knows nor cares much about the distant Yrtan Empire (or vice versa).  For the World-Queen, such gestures are important to shore up her somewhat dubious legitimacy among the Gheen communities under her control, but she expects no tangible help from the Rookery or its royal line.  Regardless, the Ussik of the Rookery are vehemently opposed to this union in an expression of support for their oppressed brethren in the Clockwise Wash, and several scuffles have broken out as a result (including a sensational incident in which a group of resident Ussik pelted Yrta Ukalyk with rotten fruit '" and then rocks '" in the street, and very nearly killed him).

Like Koldon's Well and the Grove of Tranquility, the Rookery is a small city of comparatively little influence that is not viewed as a rival by the more populous and powerful cities of White Lotus, Greythorn, and the City of Orpiment.  Where the Well is closely allied to White Lotus, however, the Rookery is quite independent (and unlike the Grove, it has not maintained this independence simply because it hosts a fearsome and unknowable god-like entity).  As a result, all three of the 'Great Cities' (as the powerful three are sometimes called) have attempted to ingratiate themselves with the ruling classes of the Rookery.  Greythorn has been less than successful at this, but both White Lotus and the City of Orpiment have certain 'reliable' houses who can be counted on to side with their interests when the Sororal Conclave meets.  No power has yet to truly establish their sway over the Queen and her house, however, perhaps simply because the great distance between the Rookery and the Great Cities greatly constrains their ability to make credible threats.

Economy and Trade

The Rookery is not a great producer of goods; it produces some surplus fruit, but not in vast quantities.  Most of this fruit is distilled into brandy, which is more easily transportable by khauta and in higher demand on the Circle than dried fruit.

Its importance on the Black Circle derives primarily from the fact that it is the only settlement of any significance between the Grove of Tranquility and the Inner Skyshield, making it a critical place for re-supply, repair, and rest for ground caravans as well as Circle flyers.  It is also a key point for the diffusion of goods into the Skyshield, especially lodestones, tea, mineral pigments, and iron tools and weapons.

Still, the ground below the city does provide a few important exports.  The caverns (and surrounding cave networks) are rich in calcite alabaster, which is valued as a carving material.  The shallowest caverns can be easily accessed and stripped of the mineral, but more adventurous souls sometimes venture into deeper reaches for more precious deposits of alabaster as well as ornamental stones like rock crystal, onyx, and amethyst.  There is a small industry of stone sculptors in the Rookery, whose charms and statuettes are in some demand in other settlements on the Black Circle.

The final important product of the Rookery is also mineral in nature '" lime.  Limestone, when baked in a kiln, can be rendered into quicklime (and from there, slaked lime) which is one of the most in-demand manufactured goods in civilized lands.  Various forms of lime are used for mortar and plaster, tanning hides and skins, glassmaking, iron smelting, warfare (quicklime is extremely caustic), and even food preservation (the Tahro are known for this).  The Chalklands, along with Whitefen and parts of the Greater Cogsteeth, is an important source of lime, and the Rookery is the only real settlement in the region.  The weight and volume of lime means that it must usually be carried out by ground caravan rather than khauta, but it still brings in a great deal of business.

The Rookery has no set currency, official or otherwise.  The 'commodity money' of the City of Orpiment (copper '˜tiles') and White Lotus (tea bricks) is accepted like any other quantity of goods.

[spoiler=Notable Locations in the Rookery]
Path of Rebirth
In Gheen tradition, male kits must undergo a ceremony called the Great Fall in which the kit's blood is shed and it is thrown from a high platform.  It must reach the understory and then ascend the trees; when it returns, it returns as a full adult with all the privileges thereof.  In the Rookery, such a fall is not possible.  Some families choose to ignore this ritual as a result, but most send their sons to relatives or friends in the Skyshield so that they can engage in this tradition.  Recently, however, some have suggested that a local alternative is the best way to reproduce the spirit of the ritual.  A few families send their youths down into the caves beneath the city, to brave the darkness and fear and return to the surface with a cup of water from the great underground lake.  This alternate ritual is growing in popularity, though there are concerns that the journey '" though it is supposed to be dangerous '" may be too dangerous.  There is a set path on which this ritual takes place, to prevent kits from becoming hopelessly lost in the darkness.  It is not always clearly delineated, however, and the kit must look for signs and sigils indicating the way downward (and then upward, upon its return).  It is believed that the Path is close to the original path taken by the builders of Yauree's Fan.

Yauree's Fan
The windpump that supplies the city with water was built in Yauree's lifetime by a group of Iskite architects and engineers from Greythorn.  The mechanism itself, though large, is not terribly complicated, consisting of a single shaft driven by a freely-rotating cap that turns a very large screw pump below.  Its output varies based on the strength of the wind.  The structure remained in its original form until EVP 170, when the previous Queen hired a group of Orpimine clockmakers to build a three-faced tower clock within the structure.  The construction was plagued with problems but was eventually completed a decade later; three clock faces are presented towards each of the city's three spires, driven by a portion of the pumped water that is allowed to fall back into a cistern at the base of the tower.  It is the world's largest clocktower, but not the most accurate, for it has been known to gain or lose time when alterations in wind or water usage change the pressure of the water that drives its main wheel.  Though close enough for the average person's day-to-day timekeeping, it is a frequent butt of jokes both in the Rookery and elsewhere on the Black Circle ('he goes by Fan time' is a common Circle expression meaning that someone is often late, absent, or generally unreliable).

Ghaua's Sanctum
Some of the caverns of the Chalklands are quite beautiful, covered in sublime and wondrous formations that glimmer in the torchlight.  Just above the underground lake lies a large, roughly oval-shaped space that is especially astounding.  Its walls are frozen cascades of calcite, and thin translucent stalactites hang like delicate lace from the yawning dome above.  The cavern was originally dedicated to Ghaua, a goddess of silence, eternity, and repose (essentially a 'goddess of death,' but somber rather than sadistic or destructive).  Its location deep beneath the city means that it is rarely visited; giving offerings here was originally one of the Queen's many sacred duties, but it has been neglected over the years.  Some predict dire consequences from failing to appease a death-goddess in this way.  Now, it is likely that the sanctum is either unoccupied or an occasional home to a few very committed delvers.

Kiln District
A forest of chimneys rises from one of the saddles between two of the city's spires.  The area is filled with tightly-spaced domes, lime kilns that operate nearly continuously to fuel civilized industries hundreds of miles away.  Greythorn in particular has become increasingly reliant on Rookery lime for smelting and architecture, as the Orpimine Overseer has little desire to share its city's monopoly of supplies in the Golden Principality with the likes of the Solar Order.  Family and independently-owned furnaces vie with each other to create more and purer product, which is in turn fought over by merchants who stalk the winding alleyways in search of good bulk prices.  The district (also called 'the beehives' for the shape of the kilns) is often covered by a haze of kiln smoke, which occasionally blows into other areas of the city to the chagrin of residents there.  The economic importance of the kilns, however, is such that it is unlikely to be stopped by mere complaints.

The Windlass
The Rookery's position as a point of rest and resupply on long Circle journeys requires it to have some means for appeasing travelers and foreign merchants.  The Windlass is the city's most well-known 'business house,' a euphemistic Rookery term for a tavern.  Situated just above the base of the city's second spire, the Windlass offers an excellent view of the city center below.  Unlike the most popular establishments in some other cities of the Black Circle, the Windlass does not have a particularly bad reputation '" in part because the Queen has been known to visit on occasion.  The Windlass can actually be considered a literal house of business, as it is a common meeting-place for merchants, officials, and anyone else whose business is private but not nearly dastardly enough to seek out some netheel den on the edge of the Beehives.  Skauk'uk Taku Yim, the famous explorer and present Rookery resident, has a private porch here where he can sometimes be found working on another one of his popular writings.  He is rumored to also be the owner, though in reality he is simply on good terms with the actual owner, who keeps his (or her) ownership a secret to avoid familial and political meddling.[/spoiler]