« Pure Entertainment | Main | Sehndova »
Nov
19
Postcard
(This is less of a postcard and more of a journal entry, which is in better keeping with my world's Atlas anyway.)
This morning I awoke and bid farewell to my gracious Ahnorov hosts -- and I am being only partially sarcastic when I say this; they were not terribly social and merely grunted when I took my leave. Minari, my official military escort and guide while touring the Ahnorov cities, greeted me with greater warmth before leading me to the surface. But instead of swimming up towards the exterior of the Tree, Minari brought me through the Root Forest, where the space between the Tree's roots becomes far and few between as we neared their source. Eventually we broke through the water's surface within the interior of the Tree's hollow and I stared in awe at the walls of the Tree that surrounded this relatively still pool of water. Minari bid me farewell as I pulled myself up to stand on the uppermost roots that rested just below the water's surface and carefully picked my way to the edge of the pond.
There's very little light here and as such, the Ahnorov stock the area with coralight mined in ocean caves. A little dull at first glance, the mineral glows brightly when kept underwater and is a precious light resource for both the Ahnorov and the Gilorov. A near-transparent sack filled with water and a bit of coralight is more reliable than an oil lantern, as it will never go out and doesn't burn to the touch.
As I started on my way up, I noticed more light sources that lit the pathway as it spiraled upwards. When I neared one, I stopped to investigate and was fascinated by my conclusions. We know that normal plants are able to take in nutrients through their roots and transport it upwards to other parts of the plant. The Tree is apparently no exception and will transport water through its internal membranes. Fairly frequently, there are sections of the membrane that have caved into wells where water begins to pool. These natural fountains are then the source of the purest drinking water available on the Age and are a source of sustenance for both the Gilorov and the Jimarov. Adding a few pieces of coralight turns the fountain into a light source on top of a drinking source.
I had better get going... it will take me a couple hours of walking at least before I reach the lower levels of the Gilorov Flats.
