The Star Nest
Location: Mountain ranges, South western territory.
Nest resources: Raw Ores, Coal, Gold & Precious Stones. Seasonal unique flora.
All those who glance upon it know it to be the grandest nest, tunnels running as deep as the caeli bloodline itself. It is the oldest known nest, purported by star watchers to be the origin of all caelis. The nest territory is buried within layers of mountain range, spanning a wide strip of land. Embedded within the largest of the mountains in that area is the heart of the Star nest. It is almost a fortress, with travel being perilous from the steep inclines and sudden drops. Even when flying, the mist and cloud cover makes sight difficult and accidentally flying into a mountainside is not uncommon. The Star nest has ignited bonfires at the top of some mountains to light the way for travellers and traders.
There are several entrances into the Star nest, and the tunnels inside the nest are so old and developed that it is almost a labyrinth. The lowest levels of the nest are un-navigable by any caeli other than the elite royal family, as they are so complex and ancient that no other caeli know the route to the palace deep below. However, higher areas have designated pathways and are the main civilian quarters. Within this space caeli trade, live, socialize, and work just below the surface of the mountain. The great courts and halls have tall columns carved into the space, where lanterns are placed to keep the large areas lit brightly. Lesser used passages are lit dimly by small bioluminescent plants, mushrooms, bottled fireflies and torches, as the darkness across the land by the giant mountains means that Star nest caeli mostly work in the darkness. On the rare occasion, the nest will recieve a few days of sunshine per year during certain seasons. This does not bother Star nest caelis, as they are all acquainted with the darkness and work perfectly fine under low light conditions. Star nest income comes mainly from mining the mountains surrounding the nests, mostly for gold, coal or iron. Mining is highly profitable and creates massive amounts of money for the monarchy, meaning that Star nest is the most capable in producing technology and boasts the largest industry of all the other nests. They are far ahead of the others in terms of science and finance, though often trading tidbits of information to other nests in exchange for supplying their civilians with food and goods.
Nest resources: Raw Ores, Coal, Gold & Precious Stones. Seasonal unique flora.
All those who glance upon it know it to be the grandest nest, tunnels running as deep as the caeli bloodline itself. It is the oldest known nest, purported by star watchers to be the origin of all caelis. The nest territory is buried within layers of mountain range, spanning a wide strip of land. Embedded within the largest of the mountains in that area is the heart of the Star nest. It is almost a fortress, with travel being perilous from the steep inclines and sudden drops. Even when flying, the mist and cloud cover makes sight difficult and accidentally flying into a mountainside is not uncommon. The Star nest has ignited bonfires at the top of some mountains to light the way for travellers and traders.
There are several entrances into the Star nest, and the tunnels inside the nest are so old and developed that it is almost a labyrinth. The lowest levels of the nest are un-navigable by any caeli other than the elite royal family, as they are so complex and ancient that no other caeli know the route to the palace deep below. However, higher areas have designated pathways and are the main civilian quarters. Within this space caeli trade, live, socialize, and work just below the surface of the mountain. The great courts and halls have tall columns carved into the space, where lanterns are placed to keep the large areas lit brightly. Lesser used passages are lit dimly by small bioluminescent plants, mushrooms, bottled fireflies and torches, as the darkness across the land by the giant mountains means that Star nest caeli mostly work in the darkness. On the rare occasion, the nest will recieve a few days of sunshine per year during certain seasons. This does not bother Star nest caelis, as they are all acquainted with the darkness and work perfectly fine under low light conditions. Star nest income comes mainly from mining the mountains surrounding the nests, mostly for gold, coal or iron. Mining is highly profitable and creates massive amounts of money for the monarchy, meaning that Star nest is the most capable in producing technology and boasts the largest industry of all the other nests. They are far ahead of the others in terms of science and finance, though often trading tidbits of information to other nests in exchange for supplying their civilians with food and goods.
The Northern Nest
Location: Ice flats, Far northern territory.
Nest resources: Ice, Meat, Fur, Lumber & Winter Squash. Seasonally wheat.
Mythology points to the nest being built where a shooting star fell on the land, when the first Northern caelis were searching for a new home. This and the nest is isolated and lonely in a field of ice and snow. Spotting the nest is difficult, with blizzards affecting visibility most of the time. However, once a blizzard subsides you can clearly see the unusual nest design is built on a small incline, surrounded by flatland. Half-buried buildings circle the bottom of the hill and slowly disappear into the hill as it rises. There is little need for wind walls, as the hill itself protects at least one side of the nest from snow blizzards and strong wind. Farmers take the brunt of the wind, as they tend to live on the outskirts where larger underground farms are more viable.
From the air the nest appears like a crown of buried cobblestone, though underneath the stone and snow is an intricate system of burrows. Northern royals planned the nest meticulously, with each section having a specific purpose. The center of the nest is a crossroads, chosen to be the Queen's residence for it's connection to the other sections of the nest. The lower bastions of the nest are storehouses for winter, but also double as barracks. Everything stays close to the main nest arterial, as heat is difficult to conserve. Most individual families will live in one separate branch of the nest, resembling a snowflake in pattern. A typical Northern family consists of closely knit caeli that are directly related to one another, with several generations all living in the one home. They often interact with extended family and are highly respectful to one another. As their culture is orally passed on, they are more prone to mythical stories at bed time than any other nest.
Each family usually follows one trade and many caelis take on similar occupations out of necessity, rather than pride. Few job opportunities occur on the ice plains and so most caeli are either farmers or hunters. Hunters prefer to live further from the nest to preserve the delicate ecological balance on the ice plains. Often they will go ice fishing, large game spearing or small animal trapping. Northern caelis, hunter or otherwise, have a deep respect for the order of nature and harshness of life.
Nest resources: Ice, Meat, Fur, Lumber & Winter Squash. Seasonally wheat.
Mythology points to the nest being built where a shooting star fell on the land, when the first Northern caelis were searching for a new home. This and the nest is isolated and lonely in a field of ice and snow. Spotting the nest is difficult, with blizzards affecting visibility most of the time. However, once a blizzard subsides you can clearly see the unusual nest design is built on a small incline, surrounded by flatland. Half-buried buildings circle the bottom of the hill and slowly disappear into the hill as it rises. There is little need for wind walls, as the hill itself protects at least one side of the nest from snow blizzards and strong wind. Farmers take the brunt of the wind, as they tend to live on the outskirts where larger underground farms are more viable.
From the air the nest appears like a crown of buried cobblestone, though underneath the stone and snow is an intricate system of burrows. Northern royals planned the nest meticulously, with each section having a specific purpose. The center of the nest is a crossroads, chosen to be the Queen's residence for it's connection to the other sections of the nest. The lower bastions of the nest are storehouses for winter, but also double as barracks. Everything stays close to the main nest arterial, as heat is difficult to conserve. Most individual families will live in one separate branch of the nest, resembling a snowflake in pattern. A typical Northern family consists of closely knit caeli that are directly related to one another, with several generations all living in the one home. They often interact with extended family and are highly respectful to one another. As their culture is orally passed on, they are more prone to mythical stories at bed time than any other nest.
Each family usually follows one trade and many caelis take on similar occupations out of necessity, rather than pride. Few job opportunities occur on the ice plains and so most caeli are either farmers or hunters. Hunters prefer to live further from the nest to preserve the delicate ecological balance on the ice plains. Often they will go ice fishing, large game spearing or small animal trapping. Northern caelis, hunter or otherwise, have a deep respect for the order of nature and harshness of life.
The Seashore Nest
Location: Subtropical islands and cliffside, Southern territory.
Nest resources: Fish, Fabric, Salt, Wheat & Mangosteen.
The most recent nest in existence, the Seashore nest has been created within the last 25 years. Therefore making it the least superstitious, with principle rather than tradition guiding their culture. Seashore caeli acknowledge the founding of the nest was by Queen Mairi whom chiselled it in her youth. The central nest is built on a tall cliff-face, facing forwards to the sea with green rolling hills behind. All entrances and tunnels are recent, meaning that many tunnels are shallow. There are several areas where dwellings barely scratch under the surface. However, the main cavern entrance is actually quite large, excavated from a high-up cliffside cave. In that cavern entrance is the famous daylight market and nest social areas. There are several deeper tunnels from this main space that lead to the Palace, a few caeli homes, and the boilers below. Civilians and residential areas are supplied clean water by the process of distilling sea water in the depths of the nest's caverns.
Seashore territory spans furthest out of all the nests and most of this is green and sprawling, with ocean cliffs made of bright sandstone. There is a secondary nest area in an island across the bay, where most Seashore fishermen and workers reside. It has been hollowed out from the inside, and has a large skylight entrance.
There are two stereotypes for Seashore families, either a young family with children have arrived to start a better life for their children, or individual caelis who migrated from other nests in order to seek a place of their own. Individual loners and whole families are usually quite friendly to one another, often under the understanding that they are both simply trying to make a living. Seashore caelis are often clever at professions needing to sell, buy and trade. Most choose a profession such as a merchant, trader, fishermen and builder. Unlike the Northern or Marsh nests, jobs are plentiful in the Seashore as trade booms between the Star and North, which mostly occurs within the Seashore territory. Abundant food and year-round warm weather allows for many caeli to live slower and focus on goals unrelated to survival, such as art, science and simply making a family. Seashore life is the most laid back due to the supportive community and fortunate circumstances, attracting new settlers every day.
Nest resources: Fish, Fabric, Salt, Wheat & Mangosteen.
The most recent nest in existence, the Seashore nest has been created within the last 25 years. Therefore making it the least superstitious, with principle rather than tradition guiding their culture. Seashore caeli acknowledge the founding of the nest was by Queen Mairi whom chiselled it in her youth. The central nest is built on a tall cliff-face, facing forwards to the sea with green rolling hills behind. All entrances and tunnels are recent, meaning that many tunnels are shallow. There are several areas where dwellings barely scratch under the surface. However, the main cavern entrance is actually quite large, excavated from a high-up cliffside cave. In that cavern entrance is the famous daylight market and nest social areas. There are several deeper tunnels from this main space that lead to the Palace, a few caeli homes, and the boilers below. Civilians and residential areas are supplied clean water by the process of distilling sea water in the depths of the nest's caverns.
Seashore territory spans furthest out of all the nests and most of this is green and sprawling, with ocean cliffs made of bright sandstone. There is a secondary nest area in an island across the bay, where most Seashore fishermen and workers reside. It has been hollowed out from the inside, and has a large skylight entrance.
There are two stereotypes for Seashore families, either a young family with children have arrived to start a better life for their children, or individual caelis who migrated from other nests in order to seek a place of their own. Individual loners and whole families are usually quite friendly to one another, often under the understanding that they are both simply trying to make a living. Seashore caelis are often clever at professions needing to sell, buy and trade. Most choose a profession such as a merchant, trader, fishermen and builder. Unlike the Northern or Marsh nests, jobs are plentiful in the Seashore as trade booms between the Star and North, which mostly occurs within the Seashore territory. Abundant food and year-round warm weather allows for many caeli to live slower and focus on goals unrelated to survival, such as art, science and simply making a family. Seashore life is the most laid back due to the supportive community and fortunate circumstances, attracting new settlers every day.
The Marsh Nest
Location: Swamp and marsh-filled forest, South eastern territory.
Nest resources: Meat & Leather. Wild Rice, Cranberry & Yam.
The origin of the Marsh nest is shrouded in mystery, as no one quite remembers who built the nest. It is believed a stoney curse was awoken when the first marsh caeli chiseled the rock where the nest is built upon. Hidden tightly within the deep marsh forest and barely visible to anyone who passes by, is the elusive Marsh nest. A main wall surrounds the outside perimeter of the nest, which is overgrown and blends in with the environment. The nest is difficult to spot from air or ground and is additionally protected by a watchtower, its singular purpose is to observe the entire area for intruders. Designed to be impenetrable, only caeli who are allowed in or out can use the secret gate at the base of the watchtower. Once inside the gate, the surface of the nest looks like a giant derelict courtyard with a small open skylight, dappled with tree cover. The circular wall appears immensely high when looking up from the inside, as the sinkhole is quite deep. Inside the nest, it is obvious that the structures were built within an ancient sinkhole, carved into an elaborate tunnel system. Though most outdoor buildings are ruined or abandoned, certain outdoor stalls and shops create a weaving maze, where most of the stone buildings are overrun with large tree roots. There are water and sewerage draining points running throughout the stone floor into a pond much further outside the nest. Underground tunnels inside the sinkhole lead to a main hall which has access to the tavern and palace that lie further down.
Sadly, a high percentage of caeli in the marsh are homeless even within the nest confines. The family structure in the marsh nest can vary wildly, as many families end up broken from the strain of living in such a tough environment. Often, at least one parent will look after a child with the support of one grandparent. Though family members can be close, some may fight due to food scarcity. Due to societal strain, the role of teaching belongs to the elders, and sometimes the Queen. Almost all Marsh caeli are raised to be expert hunters, even though it is a perilous job. There are some jobs as a guard or shaman, but mostly for those who cannot hunt. Due to the low number of resources within the nest, there aren't many avenues to make a living. There is a large divide between the wealthier royal caeli and the poorer unemployed caeli. Though in recent times both have banded together under the flag of the returned Queen. It is also known that currently most Marsh-born caeli are male and very few are female, due to their last Queen being exiled by the elders, which led to mass deaths and a very low female birth-rate.
Nest resources: Meat & Leather. Wild Rice, Cranberry & Yam.
The origin of the Marsh nest is shrouded in mystery, as no one quite remembers who built the nest. It is believed a stoney curse was awoken when the first marsh caeli chiseled the rock where the nest is built upon. Hidden tightly within the deep marsh forest and barely visible to anyone who passes by, is the elusive Marsh nest. A main wall surrounds the outside perimeter of the nest, which is overgrown and blends in with the environment. The nest is difficult to spot from air or ground and is additionally protected by a watchtower, its singular purpose is to observe the entire area for intruders. Designed to be impenetrable, only caeli who are allowed in or out can use the secret gate at the base of the watchtower. Once inside the gate, the surface of the nest looks like a giant derelict courtyard with a small open skylight, dappled with tree cover. The circular wall appears immensely high when looking up from the inside, as the sinkhole is quite deep. Inside the nest, it is obvious that the structures were built within an ancient sinkhole, carved into an elaborate tunnel system. Though most outdoor buildings are ruined or abandoned, certain outdoor stalls and shops create a weaving maze, where most of the stone buildings are overrun with large tree roots. There are water and sewerage draining points running throughout the stone floor into a pond much further outside the nest. Underground tunnels inside the sinkhole lead to a main hall which has access to the tavern and palace that lie further down.
Sadly, a high percentage of caeli in the marsh are homeless even within the nest confines. The family structure in the marsh nest can vary wildly, as many families end up broken from the strain of living in such a tough environment. Often, at least one parent will look after a child with the support of one grandparent. Though family members can be close, some may fight due to food scarcity. Due to societal strain, the role of teaching belongs to the elders, and sometimes the Queen. Almost all Marsh caeli are raised to be expert hunters, even though it is a perilous job. There are some jobs as a guard or shaman, but mostly for those who cannot hunt. Due to the low number of resources within the nest, there aren't many avenues to make a living. There is a large divide between the wealthier royal caeli and the poorer unemployed caeli. Though in recent times both have banded together under the flag of the returned Queen. It is also known that currently most Marsh-born caeli are male and very few are female, due to their last Queen being exiled by the elders, which led to mass deaths and a very low female birth-rate.
The desert Nest
Location: An island far west of the continent Visla, deep within the maws of the Ocean.
Nest Resources: Pottery & beads, fish, palm dates, amaranth grain, maize, corn, cacti fruits.
The desert nest inhabits a remote desert island located in the midst of a vast ocean. At the heart of the island is a canyon with depths far below sea level, which acts as a natural barrier against the harsh winds and sandstorms that rage across the desert surface.
The desert nest city is located at the bottom of the canyon, sheltered from the scorching sun and protected by towering cliffs on either side, with connecting bridges creating lattice walkways high in the air. At the bottom floor, the settlement consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets and tunnels carved into the canyon walls, with small homes and shops built into the rocky landscape. The central gathering place is a large and colourful plaza, where festivals and ceremonies are held. The nest has lived on the island for generations, adapting to the harsh desert climate and carving out a unique way of life in the heart of the island. Perhaps due to their isolation from the rest of the world, the nest has a rich and complex culture, full of music, dance, and art. They are known for their intricate pottery and beads, which is highly sought after in their community.
Despite fresh water being a precious and scarce resource, the nest has managed to engineer a small oasis surrounding the south end of the canyon, using a sophisticated irrigation system and network of rain-water catchments. The oasis is a source of food and water for the community that is abundantly shared, and farmer Caeli distribute the responsibility of growing date palms, amaranths, and corn. Outside of the oasis food is difficult to forage, however Caeli of the desert nest are hypervigilant to scarcity and continue to hone their skills in fishing and cultivation of desert cacti such as the purple pitaya and flavourful opuntia. Due to the harsh landscape, there is only limited hunting of small creatures and seafaring birds.
Nest Resources: Pottery & beads, fish, palm dates, amaranth grain, maize, corn, cacti fruits.
The desert nest inhabits a remote desert island located in the midst of a vast ocean. At the heart of the island is a canyon with depths far below sea level, which acts as a natural barrier against the harsh winds and sandstorms that rage across the desert surface.
The desert nest city is located at the bottom of the canyon, sheltered from the scorching sun and protected by towering cliffs on either side, with connecting bridges creating lattice walkways high in the air. At the bottom floor, the settlement consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets and tunnels carved into the canyon walls, with small homes and shops built into the rocky landscape. The central gathering place is a large and colourful plaza, where festivals and ceremonies are held. The nest has lived on the island for generations, adapting to the harsh desert climate and carving out a unique way of life in the heart of the island. Perhaps due to their isolation from the rest of the world, the nest has a rich and complex culture, full of music, dance, and art. They are known for their intricate pottery and beads, which is highly sought after in their community.
Despite fresh water being a precious and scarce resource, the nest has managed to engineer a small oasis surrounding the south end of the canyon, using a sophisticated irrigation system and network of rain-water catchments. The oasis is a source of food and water for the community that is abundantly shared, and farmer Caeli distribute the responsibility of growing date palms, amaranths, and corn. Outside of the oasis food is difficult to forage, however Caeli of the desert nest are hypervigilant to scarcity and continue to hone their skills in fishing and cultivation of desert cacti such as the purple pitaya and flavourful opuntia. Due to the harsh landscape, there is only limited hunting of small creatures and seafaring birds.