Narayan
From MYSTlore
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| Narayan | |
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Written by Atrus | |
| Type | Inhabited Age |
| Connected places | J'nanin, Tomahna |
| Link-in points | Tapestry room |
Narayan is the home Age of Saavedro. It was written by Atrus as the final Age in a series of four Lesson Ages designed to teach his sons, Sirrus and Achenar, about the Art. Built around the premise that "Balanced systems stimulate civilization," it was intended to show the boys how civilization could emerge and bring balance to an otherwise unstable Age.
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[edit] Age Constitution
Narayan is a water-based world that is host to many forms of life, all of which participate in a delicate symbiotic relationship. It is the role of the Narayani people to maintain the balance of all these natural elements.
[edit] Lattice Tree
Perhaps the most important life form in the Age, these are the structures on which the Narayani build their homes. This plant, which has been described by one historian as an "algae-like" life-form, grows around the geothermal vents under the world's vast sea. Lattice roots are flexible and can grow to great lengths. The Narayani hand-weave these roots into a lattice-like structure that supports their villages. However, the Lattice Roots are very delicate and must be constantly tended. The voluminous work of maintaining the Lattice Tree includes trimming the roots and grafting new growths onto the old to make sure the structure remains strong.
[edit] Puffer Spores
These large spore sacs rise up from the world's geothermal vents and into the air. The Narayani "call" the spores to them by playing music on pipes, then throw out nets to catch them and drag them in. Once caught, the spores can be guided into niches in the Lattice to support the growing Trees and the rooms of Narayani houses. If spores are not guided to the Tree in time, they will burst from the heat of the steam that rises with them from the geothermal vents.
[edit] Narayani Culture and Traditions
Narayani culture is centered around the ritualized Weaving of Lattice Roots, sometimes called The Weave, and the other traditions described above that are crucial to the survival of their world. Journal evidence also indicates a belief in some form of "Spirits". Because it is so deeply rooted in tradition, Narayani society is led by experienced Elders who understand the importance of these traditions and the consequences of neglecting them.
The Narayani have a spoken language (Narani) as well as a voluminous set of ideographic symbols, only some of which have been recovered. They also have a number system based on the symbol of the Tree.
[edit] History
After Atrus wrote the link to Narayan, he visited the Age and befriended Saavedro, "a dreamer-teacher" who had a wife, Tamra, and a baby daughter. Saavedro taught Atrus about the Lattice Tree and the ways of the Narayani, and, at the end of his stay, agreed to host his two sons and teach them in turn. This he did, though he noticed a marked difference in personality between father and sons.
Perhaps five years later, Sirrus and Achenar returned to Narayan. Exploiting already-existing intergenerational tensions by claiming that the delicate nature of their world, far from being something to revere, was intentionally put in place by Atrus in order to show his sons how not to create an Age. They claimed to have sympathy for the Narayani and their allegedly needless toils, and offered an alternative - migration to other Ages. This appealed to some younger Narayani who felt the labor-intensive, time-consuming work of maintaining their world to be too burdensome. Sirrus and Achenar also claimed to have the ability to write changes into Narayan that would make it less fragile, but said they would only do so if all of Narayan's inhabitants agreed. The Elders, as they well knew, would certainly not agree. Thus, Sirrus and Achenar intentionally tore apart the fabric of Narayani society, all while pretending to be acting out of kindness and sympathy.
It did not take long for matters to reach a crisis state. Tensions mounted until riots broke out, followed by a full-fledged civil war. With the Narayani otherwise occupied, the world's delicate balance began to break down. Whole villages were destroyed as a result of the war and the neglect of the Tree. Not surprisingly, Sirrus and Achenar decided it was time to leave.
Saavedro, who had for some time been unsure whether or not to believe the brothers, made up his mind to confront them. Leaving Tamra and his children (by this time he had a second daughter) to seek shelter, he followed the brothers to J'nanin, where they trapped him.
It appears that the Narayani were able to return to their traditions in time to save their world; when Saavedro was finally returned to his homeworld, healthy Lattice Trees were seen supporting villages. Light could be seen coming from the windows of the buildings. It is unclear, however, whether Saavedro's family survived.
[edit] Background
Despite being seen only briefly in the game, Narayan has become one of the most popular Ages among some fans. As an example, a fan site called Narayani Collective was created.
