Vavaren

First topic message reminder :



Vavaren is a richly forested planet with large bodies of water. It's cold, not cold enough for snow but cold enough for frost to form overnight. The oxygen levels are high.

There are no mammals, only lizards, insects, arachnids and some birds. Everything is huge.
Their oceans are populated by giant squids, immense fish and various other enormous and terrifying creatures of the deep.

The Vavare have built large webbed communes in the trees.

Visitors are not common, Vavare tend to do most of their business off world but those who visit are welcomed warmly.

Ships will dock at a small simple space port which is surrounded by their capital "city", if you can call it that.
It looks more like a vast marketplace.

Visitors are advised to wear rebreathers when leaving their ship, dress warm and to avoid any flames, sparks or static buildup.

Enjoy your stay honored friends, welcome to Vavaren.

Starr soon left the kids to wander about and learn what she could from the Vavare on her own. She stayed in dragon form since that was simpler on her and she didn't need the mask like that. She doubted the spider people would be afraid of her since she was only just over 3 feet tall in this form with all four feet on the ground and even the kids here were bigger. She was glad to have this chance to stay in her natural form for a while without worry of being captured.

The spider people were absolutely fascinated by her. Some were wary of the "lizard" but others recognized her as a star dragon and bowed respectfully as she passed. Evidently the star dragons and their legends had a lot of respect out here.

"Thank you!" James said to Viti.

They'd follow Armin.

Starr watched the spiders happily, going up to one who bowed to her "Hello" She said gently "Can I ask why you bow to me?" She asked curiously.

"You are a Star Dragon are you not?" A silver robed priest told her in a hushed tone. "You walk free, unchained and unrestrained. Your presence here is seen as a blessing from the Weaver herself. One of the creators, here on our world. " They bowed their head low. "We are honored noble creature, and humbled."

---

Armin moved quickly ahead, clearly eager to see whoever this other Vavare was.

Kay struggled to keep up, gazing up at the sky warily. Stay away from open areas they'd been told, now here they were in the middle of a clearing. He really hoped this was a good idea.

Ahead of them the herd of Aphid grazed about, there was a lot of small shrubs and thick, green leafy plants underfoot which they seemed to be happily munching on.

A green skinned Vavare with pure white hair stood leaning against a fence post, boredly watching the animals and the small group approaching.

" Fardhe!" Armin called

The other spiderkin tilted his head, no clear recognition in his eyes.

Armin approached, arms outstretched. "It is me, Armin." He explained.

"Armin? " Fardhe broke into a huge grin. "Mother said you had returned! " He hugged the other male tightly. "I am sorry, I did not recognise you. It has been so long."

"too long." Armin agreed, pulling away from the hug. "These are my friends." He indicated the three. "They wished to see the Aphid."

Fardhe looked at them "Why?" He asked

"Yes, I am a star dragon." Starr replied then smiled a bit "I was born free and am free now, but I was young when I was separated from my family and have not heard of anyone who has stories of my kind. You called us creators, can you tell me more?" She asked hopefully

James was nervous to leave the tree cover, and this time he was the one who almost clung to Asher in fear. Still, he really wanted to be here, so he forced himself to keep moving despite his nervousness. "Hello!" He said to Fardhe, "It's nice to meet you. We were curious to see the aphids because where we come from, there aren't any animals like that at all." He smiled warmly.

The priest bowed again, confused she couldn't know her own blessed origin. "The Weaver spun the heavens, the inky fabric of the universe and when she was done, she called her children to her and asked them to fill the cloth with life and beauty. Among her children were the dragons, who hung the glistening jewels of stars across the sky to shine and shimmer like precious stones. Her children created planets and celestial bodies, wove into being the animals and the plants, they filled the cloth with life and beauty as commanded and the dragons danced free among the stars." The priest shook his head. "until the chains were put upon them. Those who wished to take the beauty of their creation and twist it to their own selfish gain. The weaver wept for her children, she has been searching for you for so long. Now you are found, and she has brought you to us. She has brought you home. " The priest gestured toward the temple. "your people created the stars themselves."

---

"They are stupid beasts." Fardhe told James. "all they do is eat."

Armin chuckled. "You sound resentful cousin."

"I do not wish to remain a farmer forever." Fardhe told him.

[Why not? ] Kay asked.

"It is dull and it is tedious. I watch the animals, in case the hawks come. I wake, I bring them out to graze, I take them back in, I milk them, I give them their nightly feed and then it starts over again. Always the same. "

Armin patted his cousin on the shoulder supportively. "You will come to the party tonight yes?"

"If mother does not demand I stay behind to tend the farm in her absence."

"You should not speak ill of your mother Fardhe." Armin warned.

"I do not." Fardhe sighed. "I simply tire of this life."

[Could you not do something else?]

"It is the family business, there is... expectation." Fardhe told Kay flatly. He shook his head. "Do not let my misery get you down. The Aphid will not pay you any mind so long as you do not interfere with their grazing. Go, examine them, do whatever it is you wish to do."

Armin frowned a little.

"Don't worry, I used to live a life of drudgery and tedium too," James said sympathetically. "Eventually you get to get away and follow your dreams and stuff. I'm going to be a ship captain."

Armin chuckled at James.

Fardhe looked hopeful. "Weaver willing."

Starr listened and bowed her head. To hear such a story after so many years alone and away from her kind and the way he spoke of them. When he motioned to the temple she looked that way, more curious now "Could I go there? Is there more you know about my people?" She asked then looked back to the priest "I lost my family and my home when I was very young, I was too young then to have learned the history and stories."

The priest bowed his head to her. "Of course you may enter blessed Star Dragon." He told her as if astounded she felt she even had to ask. "Perhaps this is why the Weaver sent you to us, to learn your history. " He crossed his arms across his chest and bowed his head once more. "Such an honor, I am overwhelmed." He did look it. "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

James smiled at Fardhe. "Trust me, it gets better." He looked at once if the nearby aphids with interest. "These guys look so cool."

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:The priest bowed his head to her. "Of course you may enter blessed Star Dragon." He told her as if astounded she felt she even had to ask. "Perhaps this is why the Weaver sent you to us, to learn your history. " He crossed his arms across his chest and bowed his head once more. "Such an honor, I am overwhelmed." He did look it. "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

"Perhaps it is, that would be nice to actually learn more about my own kind" Starr said and smiled

"Feel free to touch them, they don't usually react. " Fardhe told James.

[How do you milk them?] Kay asked, watching the creatures as they wandered around them.

Fardhe shrugged. "As they eat they secrete the excess, nothing stays in for long."

Kay frowned. [You mean it's waste?]

"To them probably. well, not really. Their systems are badly designed, they eat far more than their body can actually use. They never stop eating. So it just passes through them."

"It is extremely sweet." Armin told Kay. "the plants they eat are full of sugars, which they suck out."

"and it leaves them sticky." Fardhe added bitterly.

Kay made a face. That sounded pretty unpleasant. Sticky giant insects, mmm, nice.

---

The priest nodded and gestured she follow, guiding her to the temple. Inside it was beautifully decorated with coloured silken banners and tapestries, a wooden alter at the far end held a large offering bowl held aloft by a carved spider.
Several more silver clad priests wandered around here, speaking quietly to civilians or praying with their heads bowed.
It was absolutely silent in here.

Starr looked around as they entered, stopping in front of a tapestry that showed the legend he had told her about the creation of the universe. Next to it was another one that showed the star dragons. She frowned a little and flew up to get a better look. Being short was not fun, but at least she had wings to help with that. It showed the dragons making the planets with the first queen at the top. "She has my eyes" She said softly, a little surprised by that

The priest looked up, watching her. He would wait for her to come back down before asking. "Her eyes?"

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:The priest looked up, watching her. He would wait for her to come back down before asking. "Her eyes?"

Starr landed again and tucked her wings before nodding "Sky blue eyes, my mother had them too"

"Beautiful." The priest spoke quietly, keeping his voice low. "is this unusual?"

Starr nodded then frowned and thought about that a moment "I don't remember seeing anyone else with sky blue eyes. My mother spelled me to hide mine before she was killed." She said then looked around again

"Man, some days I really wish I could eat," James said, petting an aphid. "That sounds like it would be interesting to try."

"Why hide such beautiful eyes?" The priest asked, aghast.

---

The aphid was indeed sticky, really.. really sticky. And no, it really didn't seem to notice him.

[I'm not sure you're really missing out.] Kay told him.

James almost wiped his hand on his pants, then thought the better of it and wiped it on the grass. "You might be right. Guess I'll never know," he told Kay, amused.

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:"Why hide such beautiful eyes?" The priest asked, aghast.

---

The aphid was indeed sticky, really.. really sticky. And no, it really didn't seem to notice him.

[I'm not sure you're really missing out.] Kay told him.

""They will give me away" I believe her words were." Starr said and shook her head "It was so long ago."

"uh oh." Fardhe muttered, looking up.

Armin also looked up. A shadow fell over the clearing.

"HAWK!" He cried out.

"Shhh." Fardhe hissed. "Get down." He told the three bipeds. "You stand out, get down, do not move."

While the two green spiders and the green aphids all blended fairly well into the field, the others didn't.
Armin cringed, watching the bird above warily.

Kay did as he was told, dropping to the ground and into the long grass and shrubs. Ew, everything was sticky. Gross.

---

"Give you away? Is she your direct ancestor?" The priest asked in a hushed whisper, looking up at the tapestry.

Asher and James hastily followed Kay's example, Asher unstrapping his gun and preparing to draw it if needed. "Oh crap," muttered James.

Starr looked up at the tapestry again with a frown then closed her eyes and thought back. "Yes" She said with a gasp "I remember, there was a long hall with mother and father's picture at one end and more all the way down of..." She paused then frowned, uncertain if she should say anymore "There was a tapestry like this one at the other end" She said instead and looked back to the dragon one.