Encompassing

Wise men have said that writing non-fiction is well worth the time. So I am doing that. This is simply a small essay that attempts to capture or describe a quality or motif that I find wonderful in art. I am no great scholar, so I merely present this to those wiser than I for consideration and inspiration. If I make claims of history or the science of art here, you may feel free to treat them as nonsensically as they strike you.

The topic of this ode is that quality for which I think the best name is "Encompassing". It is the attempt of a work of art to be universal, primarily by touching lightly on the fullness of a certain set of natural things. I think it is a good name, because contained within the word is a quite common application of the idea: to Encompass, circling around the cardinal directions, and thereby around the world.

I think that, even in saying this, examples are springing up in your mind, dear reader, but I will give my own examples of several works, mainly songs or poems, that possess this quality. The song that spurred this essay into being is a modern song set to old music, by John Renbourn, called "Wexford Lullaby". Woven throughout the song is that simple version of the motif which I have already discussed, the four cardinal directions. Yet that is not the only such set in the song.

A clear set can be found in the fifth and sixth stanzas (or the third verse, as I learned it), where we see the sun (both rising and setting), moon, and stars (or lack thereof). Even in those same stanzas, we see the Christian motif of the Nativity, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. Less overt and cleanly divided, but still quite clear, is the stages of life: infancy, youth, adulthood, and deathbed. And finally, merely the icing which coats and sweetens the cake, the many mentions of all sorts of natural environments: The sea, the hills, the fields, the forests, the sky, et cetera.

Of note is that all these sets are put in service of the theme of the work. They are not merely the listing of things, but emphasize the feeling of impending loss that the singer is expressing. I think this is something common to all encompassing works of good quality. They use these sets to apply the theme of the work, increasing its scale or applicability. The singer's loss becomes not only an individual emotion, but something that suffuses the world.

To me, an encompassing work has something of a medieval, or pre-medieval, feeling to it. It seems to evoke welsh triads, proverbs, and other poems meant to instruct the listener in lore and the ways of the world. It gives the impression of a kind of epic wisdom. The Rota Fortunae, the four humors and elements, the three primes of alchemy... I don't know if it was actually more common in the medieval period; I certainly see a good deal of modern works that involve it.

There's simple dyads as well, which don't often lose much potency for being simpler. Night and day, the living and the dead... I think about the stories in which the hero's great victories are told, but never without a mention of their eventual demise. The Psalms almost always speak of sorrow, then of joy, and often feature other encompassing sets as well.

A rarer kind of emcompassing, at least modernly, is ekphrastic. Consider the second stanza of the Song of Eärendil. In this case, the encompassing serves not to make the theme universal, but to make the theme comprehensive. It communicates that Eärendil is not merely impressive in a single aspect, but in all ways both he and his possessions are beautiful and noble (the set of Costly Materials is, of itself, a rare theme nowadays. You don't often hear a poem mentioning several different kinds of gems).

Another rare set, perhaps sensibly rare in the modern day, is the set of Trades. You may look to the mid-19th century "Song of the Lower Classes" for an example here: the Farmer, Miner, Builder, Weaver, and Soldier. Of course, the Trades as a set have become far too specialized and numerous to be encompassed in art without a considerable amount of cleverness (or tedium).

To touch briefly on one last example, the two famous sets of paintings by Thomas Cole, "The Course of Empire" and "The Voyage of Life" are great examples of encompassing works of visual art. There are, of course, many others. Many ancient triptychs seem made to touch briefly on everything. I have personally, in my travels, seen at least 5 different sets of statues for the Four Seasons.

I do not think that this quality of encompassing is necessary or overwhelmingly common. But it is certainly beautiful where it makes a fine appearance. I have read, seen, and heard many great works whose focus dwells totally on a single theme in a single instance. However, I think the idea is worth considering while you, dear reader, are creating your own art. To make a work encompassing can give it both a sense of perspective, and of great significance.

(Though, perhaps it is not necessary to explain in such detail to a reader of this blog the joys of making comprehensive lists or referencing reductionist classifications. Oh well!)

Dawn War: The Dawn Isles

 

The Dawn Isles are the numerous islands that dot the northeastern coast of the continent, but the term also function more generally as the name for the lands to the northeast. That is, anything north of Fairyland and east of Erathus. They tend to be somewhat craggy and mountainous, and, though most maps don't show it, the wilderness in that land is dangerous indeed.

Humans and the Elven races (that is, Fauns, Eladrin, and Elves) make up most of the population, but many of the nobles are Dragonborn. Dwarves and Tieflings are more likely to travel to the more metropolitan Erathus than remain in the small and quite literally insular towns of the Isles. 

Unlike the Three Kingdoms and Erathus, the Dawn Isles take a more neutral approach to divinity: there is a time to call on every god in turn. Their nobles often follow the strict codes of Bhamat or Erathus, while the common people most often turn to Primal Spirits and, indirectly, Melor. However, shrines to all of the gods may be found commonly, as well as euphemistic shrines to "the Bright Ones", the collective Lords of Hell.

There are three towns of notable size in the Dawn Isles: Ethonay, Temokulos, and Iamatou. Ethonay lies on the western shore of the mainland, closest to Erathus and distinctly in its sphere; Temokulos lies on the eastern shore, a strait away from its twin and rival, Iamatou. Around these, on the mainland and on the isles themselves, there are one or two dozen villages eking out a living in the wet, warm valleys. The people of this place are known to be artistic, tolerant, lying, impious, and fond of spice and ferment. They tell tall tales:

1. The slimes found in the countryside have recently been driven to a frenzy by demonic forces
2. There is an island of wise monks that can teach you Disciplines of Breath
3. The isle of Yvoth lies half in dream
4. The Lady of Ethonay slept with Erathus, and went mad because of it.
5. Goblins are what happens to a child when a fairy steals it.
6. Among the isles, you may sometimes find a prideful city that sunk beneath the waves ages ago.
7. Pirates leave the captives they don't care to kill to a monster that ensnares their minds.
8. The town of Tolann owes its wealth to a diabolic pact.
9. There is a well of eternal youth hidden somewhere in the isles.
10. There is a water dragon dwelling in one of the caves near fairyland.
11. Sometimes fox-fey disguise themselves as Avandrite way-priests to trick (and perhaps eat) the unwary.
12. There's a kind of fairy called Halflings, or Gnomes, who are so good at hiding that they always manage to slip behind a tree or stone when you would see them, and are known for thieving. 

DM Information
The dawn isles are what I intend to be the starting location of the campaign. They are a mix of Greek and Japanese influences. Between the main towns and in the isles is Flux Space, determined by the results of encounter rolls. When the party travels, roll a d6:

1. Encounter (see encounter table)
2. Spoor of encounter
3. Dungeon
4. Settlement
5. Resource Depletion
6. Weather Change

When players find a spoor, they can choose to follow it. When players find a dungeon or settlement, they can find their way back to it later (unless it magically moves around or is concealed). Simple stuff. 

Ethonay 

Ethonay is a strongly mercantile town with easy sea routes to Erathus, Fairyland, and the Three Kingdoms. It trades the luxuries of the Dawn Isles with the necessities of the rest of the world. At its heart is an impressive, domed Pantheon, with grand chapels celebrating, principally, Avandros, Erathus, Melor, and Bhamat, the patrons of peace and prosperity in the town. A chapel of similar scale for Pelora stands across the street. 

Desdemona, the Lady of Ethonay, is currently falling into tyranny that would make Bane cringe. This is due, in fact, to her recent pilgrimage to the Amethyst Citadel, where she was refused the rite of the Dragonborn due to the many criminals that take refuge in Ethonay from Erathus and other more stringent realms. It has not been terribly effective so far, but the underworld of the town is becoming wary of her increasingly random searches and increasingly violent interrogations.

As part of these reforms, Desdemona has put in place the beginnings of a compulsory education system, the Garden of Wisdom, into which her officials are starting to herd children. The purpose is not to give commoners knowledge of the facts of the world, but to remove them from Wicked Influences, such as parents and friends, and make them strong enough to Resist Evil and serve the Common Good. Attendance is still low, especially since the children keep getting stolen by Fairies (which gives the appearance, from the outside, that Desdemona might be killing them).

Temokulos 

Temokulos is pretty well known for producing adventurer types. It is also well known for picking the King by Lottery every year. The standard joke at every tavern is to give maudlin laments for a new adventurer, since they must be the poor, exiled king of Temokulos, chosen by fate and discarded by fate! The irony is that this system works so well that most adventurers leave out of sheer boredom, and being king of Temokulos comes with pretty much no downsides.

Temokulos primarily worships Avandros, though they have no temple to him in the white-washed town, only shrines at the indigo gates (including the large, though mostly ceremonial, Sea Gate). As such, it is generally held to be an auspicious place to set off on a Voyage, and has an enormous industry of expeditions into the isles and beyond. Common belief holds that Avandros taught songs to the sailors of Temokulos which charm windspirits and sea-serpents.

Gambling is, oddly enough, illegal in Temokulos, with the only exception being bets on the next king, which is wildly popular. This includes not only who the next king will be, but what they will do. The azure tiled House of Fate maintains the ledgers of these wagers. Of course, if you could in some way Influence the next king, or their policies, you could make a fortune, but doing that without alerting the Spies of the Noble Houses is fiendishly difficult.

Iamatou 

Iamatou is an island town, the twin of Temokulos. It is most notable as the eastern seat of the church of Pelora, from which the Archangel Daybreak attempts to orchestrate the conversion of the region. Aesthetically, Iamatou strongly contrasts with Temokulos: sailing the strait between them and seeing Temokulos' white houses and sapphire domes piled on one side and Iamatou's golden stone and soaring red spires on the other is considered one of the wonders of the world. Iamatou sees this as emblematic of their Strong Rivalry. Temokulos, alas, does not care.

Against the church of Pelora's influence wars the startlingly popular Dragon-King, the charismatic and half-monstrous* demigod of Tiamut. He is held to be a mediator and guardian against the Bright Ones; better by far to placate him and them than to let Daybreak turn the island into another battlefield. And he only occasionally devours his consorts.

(* The lower half, specifically) 

Iamatou, due to the sea currents around it, has numerous Sea Monsters wash up dead on its shores. These are the raw material it uses for its lucrative industry of Bone-carving and Scalemail. Iamotou scalemail is sold all over the world, being almost as tough as steel, but the best quality is found on the island itself.

Tyrnanokos 

Unknown to all, far in the east, is the hidden isle of Tyrnanokos, the land of the Young. It is the domain and grand experiment of the Witch-Queen Wee Jas, and the homeland of the strange race (found nowhere else) known as Halflings. The isle has a strong Enchantment placed upon it by its queen, that no one outside the isle can remember more than the vaguest details about it. Even looking right at it, the focus of sailors seems to slide off it, and they dismiss it as useless to visit. Hence, it has entered local legend, and remains undiscovered, despite being seen thousands of times.

The Halflings that inhabit it are indeed Half the size of a normal human. They also live Half as long. In this small time and small frame are compressed Great excesses of adventure, sorrow, love, learning, and all Human Things. They were made such by Wee Jas, and maintained by her. This land is their Paradise, tailored to their every need, not only for pleasure but also for pain and excitement. Most (but not all) Halflings who leave are often driven mad by the world, both its bustle and its boredom, and become Goblins.

Halflings are outside the normal Cycle of death and life. The spell Wee Jas maintains is so strong that even the Raven Prince has forgotten this place. This is by design. Here, it is Wee Jas who harvests Spirits, disintegrates them, and seeds them in the bodies of new mothers. Her Skeletal servants pluck spirits out of the dead and bring them to the Well of Power, where she stores their spirit-stuff and uses it to maintain her immortality, as well as the enchantment over the isle.

She intends to become the new Goddess of Humanity by, eventually, dipping herself in the Well of Power. Avandros has abandoned his children for the fairies, and Lolth hates them both; Pelora exploits them to high heaven; all the gods end their lives and destroy their spirits. But Wee Jas would see them Immortal. She would argue it is worth breaking a few eggs (which would be broken anyways) in the process. She is, in fact, incredibly amiable and beloved by her people. They even know of the Well, but accept it as part of the cycle of life.

The Well of Power is not yet sufficiently full. It might be in a Century, though there might be ways of speeding up the process. The well itself is pure crystal and must be kept carefully sterile. If even a bug got in, it would become a monster the size of a mountain. Those that do a great favor to the Witch-queen might be offered a single cup of Spirit (which would be a great deal of XP).

Dawn Isle Tables

Encounter table (2d6):
2. Storm dragon
3. Medusa guarding a bridge
4. Ogre Magi
5. 1d4 Avandrite way priests (might be foxes)
6. 1d6 Slimes
7. Recurring NPC
8. Goblins
9. Stymphalian Birds
10. Inevitable of Erathus pursuing fugitive
11. 1d4 Halfling questants
12. Divinity (1d4: 1. Pelora; 2. Avandros; 3. Sehanine; 4. Zehira)

Dawn isles villages (1d6):
1. Klerei, village with a prophetic serpent
2. Ra-ukki, ruled by a spider devil
3. Konkordia, half the year taken up by the Konkordian Games
4. Village with a master of the Discipline of River
5. Great Waytemple of Avandros
6. Tolann, Obscenely wealthy (but otherwise innocent) Hot springs village

Dawn isles islands (1d6):
1. Yvoth, of which half the island overlaps with the Gardens of Ynn
2. Time loop Atlantis, stuck on the day of destruction by Wee Jas as a divine distraction
3. Island of wise monkeys. Eating the food gives a permanent -1 INT, +1 STR or WIS. They know the Discipline of Breath
4. Island of the Lost, where things lost to the sea wash ashore
5. Island of lotus eaters
6. Big temple of Melor, run by giants

Dawn isles dungeons (1d6):
1. Hydra Den
2. Slime cave with rift to Shedakloh, the Pit of Slime, the abyssal domain of Jubilex
3. Minotaur labyrinth
4. Derelict shrine of the Bright Ones
5. Illusory dungeon, a trap by foxes
6. Horrible Goblin Drug Hole