Chapter #5Milk Cow Part 1 by: Unknown This addition originally by Nameless One.
(This chapter was so long, I had to split it into multiple parts.)
Navato; an interesting planet in an otherwise unknown and unexplored universe where the local population has yet to develop their technology to the point of even understanding such things as planets, solar systems, and galaxies. A planet still in a medieval era, with some successful experiments in steam-powered machines and Roman-esque use of indoor plumbing (which led to more sanitized culture compared to the Middle Ages in our world), it is also notable for many advances in the art of magic, which compensated for and at times even encouraged it's technological progress. However, only people living near kingdom and castle towns, particularly the wealthy, the intellectual, or the royal have any real access to it on a daily basis.
Perhaps even more fascinating than its technological phrase combined with its use of magic is the fact that Navato appears to be a planet with only one gigantic land mass on one side of its surface (or so it is believed; there very well could be one or more continents on the other side but sailing has yet to developed to the point where the truth could be discovered without the voyage becoming a suicide mission...), an almost diamond-shaped land mass ranging from a world of deserts near the southern tip to a land of ice and snow at the northern tip. Known commonly as Onlon to the populace, it is the home of four sentient races.Living at the western tip is a large and vast kingdom of humans. Intentionally responsible for most of the technological and magical progress up to this point in time, they live more or less how humans are expected to act; a race sometimes cruel and sometimes merciful that is kept in check by a system of rule and law, with a few truly good souls if one looks hard enough. Their territory is mostly comprised of fields and meadows, along with a few mountains and streams here and there for abundant natural resources, and since they had the proper knowledge of crop rotation and farming techniques, it has become a successful agriculture force. Steam has been discovered for a still continuing exploration of its practical applications, though it will be a few years before the next technological leap can be made, at least one that could benefit the populace at large.Living at the Northern tip are the half-humans known as the Cranis; while the animal does not exist in this world, they are comparable to what we know in ours as dogs, in that their own kind has many races based on our breeds, short-haired varieties living in the warmer climates of their territories while thicker, longer-haired breeds are able to live in the cold mountains and tundra in the far north. While only a small area of the land is suitable for growing crops, and the land is covered with a strange grass that, while harmless for humans and half-humans alike, is actually poisonous to many farm animals and thankfully cannot grow in the other three regions. However, the Cranis have enjoyed a long and very successful alliance with the humans since before recorded history; as such, the Cranis often trade their even more abundant raw materials in exchange for additional crops and technological advances.The temperance of the Cranis is varied among their breeds and, while having exceptions, can usually be categorized by using having set characteristics depending on the breed of Cranis, the hybrids being the most unpredictable. As one might expect, pit bulls, Dobermans, and other fighting dogs are the more aggressive, usually either working in the kingdom military or simply becoming barbarians in their own right while more docile breeds like poodles, basset hounds, and golden retrievers are more concentrated in towns and cities. Due to the harsh weather at the eastern tip, their kingdom castle is actually in the center of their territory, though there is at least one lord castle in the eastern mountains offering safe refuge to the cold and lost...as long as they are either humans or Cranis, that is.In the eastern tip are the Falin, half-humans that again, while the animal does not exist on this world, could be comparable to cats in ours; the usual shorter "house cats" or domesticated breeds usually (but not always) being the members of the ruling and nobility classes while the taller and stronger "big cats" races tend to form the military and lower classes, though the merchant middle class is mostly mixed evenly of the two. Like the Cranis, both main races have many breeds, though because of the complex nature of the feline psyche, there are no cut and dry characteristics that can be attributed to their kind, though the big cats are known to be slightly more aggressive at times.The Falin live in a world of mostly forests, the northern parts mostly of redwood and evergreens while the southern and middle have the kind of trees one would expect in the North American and European continents in our world.
They do have farming techniques, mostly taken from observing the humans and Cranis, which, when combined with their fruit tree harvesting and their vast fish resources out at sea, make for a balanced diet among most of their kind. Their technological progress, however, is stunned due to the fact that the Cranis and Falin have been at odds with each other since ancient times. Wars have been fought and many more countless battles and while the two try to stay away from each other in recent times, it is not unlikely for Cranis thieves and barbarians to raid any of the Falin settlements bordering their territory. Due to their alliance with the Cranis, the humans are also very distrustful of the Falin, which is unfortunate since the Falin are a peace-loving race and probably would have gotten along with the humans otherwise.To the south are the Restros, the only half-human race that actually have animals based on their own kind; reptiles. The Restros themselves are a mixture of many different reptile species bundled into one sentient package: the jaws and teeth of alligators and crocodiles, long tails like snakes with a prehensile ability to strike against foes from behind them and even squeeze the life out of them if needed, and many characteristics of various lizards, including soft, smooth scales of various colors depending on heritage. Due to their slit snake eyes and scales, they have been persecuted by the humans for centauries and the Cranis are not very fond of them either. While it was at first an alliance of necessity at the beginning, the Restros and Falin have forged deep and friendly ties with each other in order to counteract the threat of human/Cranis dominance. And if nothing else, they can be united by their mutual love of sunbathing.While the Restros are actually warm-blooded, they do feel more energetic and active in warmer climates, which is why they have chosen to live in the southern tip of the world continent.
The northern reaches of their territory are filled with tropical rainforests while the rest of the area are deserts that, thankfully, are filled with many streams that provide live-preserving water; the Restros have such respect for their streams that they do not allow any boats to travel on them save for their royalty, though they do build roads to border them for the sake of travelers. Their towns are, predictably, built near springs, larger rivers, and the occasional oasis, their kingdom castle town built near the largest and most spectacular oasis of all. Their most treasured resource are heat stones, crystals that can actually absorb the sun's rays and store them until nightfall, where the temperature drops due to the nature of sand. With the heat stones, they can keep their houses warm at night and even use them to keep a steady fire going when traveling in the dessert; as long as they are in the presence of constant heat, they can be used for warmth later. Humans and Cranis have attempted to steal them but with little luck, as so far they are only willing to trade or sell heat stones to their Falin allies, who are quite fond of them as well.Thus, our story begins in one of the northern-west most Falin settlements, a small town that does not have a population more than a hundred and the nearest city is at least five miles away. Founded in a small clearing that is suitable for growing crops, raising animals, and harvesting fruits and mushrooms in the surrounding forests, it is a small community that, due to its lack of economic growth, is actually not taxed by the kingdom; instead, all the kingdom demands from them is that in times of war they send their men to fight while their women and older children would help tend to the sick and wounded; in exchange, the kingdom promises the safety of their younger children and offspring during trying times. It's not an exceptional life but it is an honest one, everyone having at least the basics of education such as reading and writing, simple mathematics and what is common knowledge about the world at large.
They even have a large heat stone in the center of their town and a small church where they can freely worship the beloved patron deity of the Falin, the great Gatoros. It is here that we find a young peasant woman, Rena Yaben, who works with her family in whatever way she can to help. Fairly young and still a bit underdeveloped, Rena helps by tending to the chickens, watering and gathering crops from the fields and plants from the forest, and looking after her younger brother and sister. Most would consider this a rather dull existence but Rena loved it, her parents kind and gentle and neighbors friendly, being able to live near the outdoors with the fresh air and the tress all around her. You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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