solmoraproject

[solmoraproject]

The tale of the graveyard bridge.

…I found the story. About a boy. His name was Leo. Leo loved his boyfriend, he wanted to spend eternity with him. One day though, he found out he moved away. No message was left, only silence.

Deafening silence.

Leo was devastated��� That same night, he ran away from home. He didn't want to accept this. He wanted to be with the love of his life. Leo was meant to be his, right? He couldn't just leave like that, right?

He was too young.

He gost lost. And It started to rain.

The young wolf kept running, his fur damp and heavy.

He didn't want to accept it. It was his boyfriend, no one else's. Why would he do that? Why didn't he say goodbye? Why did he just… leave?

Choices born of desperation reveal our true colors. Who we really are is shown through the lens of pain.

He kept running. Panting, his feet hurt, his eyes red with tears. Then, it got eerily silent. He stumbled upon the bridge, and the bridge beckoned him. Leo crossed it. He didn't know where he was. He came to his senses, and dropped to his knees in front of the statue. We don't know what he said, but we knew he cried. He cried for his love, he cried for his home, he cried for his family, he cried for his feet, and he cried because he didn't understand. That's the last thing we ever knew about Leo. Some see him in their dreams, hands held with a brown furred otter… He seems happy.

Otters are rare monsters. They are only seen near rivers, being natural-born swimmers, and often craving to swim in the water. Most sightings come from people who have never seen an otter before. Speculation about this has been rampaging ever since.

Written by: Corna Secar

[solmoraproject]

Yugama's Sanctuary. The place where monsters and humans take their final rest.

When a monster is about to die, they often become comatose, their magic becoming weaker and harder to channel. Whe monsters die, they turn to dust. It is tradition for a monster's dust to be scattered around their favorite object, then for that object to be buried in what is known as Yugama's Sanctuary.

When humans die, their body remains. Not all humans choose to be buried, but most do, and they end up in the same place. During the human-monster war, there were many casualties on both sides. No one benefits from war. There is a special place in Yugama's Sanctuary where the victims of the war are kept in. Overgrown by nature, these tombs are wrapped around serravine and small glowing fungi. It is dead quiet in that place. For unknown reasons, sound simply works differently in there. You can hear your own heartbeat, the drumming in your ears, and your thoughts seem to echo out into the world. After a certain point, photos of the deceased began to be chiseled onto the tombs, using magic and human tools, a subtle and grim reminder of the good things that came after the war, how humans and monsters now cooperate to live in a beter world together.

A shame, really. So much death, so much dust, so much blood. What comes from the soil returns to the soil. Let their actions guide you forward, and let their blindness light your way. Most were innocent, some were aware, but neither chose to acknowledge the weight of their choices. You can do better.

The bridge.

There is a bridge connecting the graveyard to some ruins, where an old, six-legged statue sits at its center. Its hands are stretched out in a cup, when rain falls, it fills up until it overflows. It is said that, if you pray at the statue during the rain, your pains will be leviated.

The desperate ones, the lost and the grieving, I will help. The selfish ones, foolish ones, both will be led into darkness.

There is also a story related to the bridge, I'll look it up for later. - Written by: Corna Secal.

[solmoraproject]

The Yugamas cave sistem:

This is the biggest cave system in Solmora, according to estimates. The caves are widely known for their large (and small) glowing mushrooms. Their colors vary, but most are blue, or a shade of purple. Aside from the mushrooms' existence, there isn't much known about the caves themselves. There are rumors of beasts, primordial monsters, etc., but the only instance of recorded life inhabitting the cave so far have been giant spiders. It is advised to avoid any instance of these spiders, as their bite has unknown effects. The giant ones are passive, but will attack if attacked first. Their webs glow just like the mushrooms, it is recommended not to touch them, and extraction is made with specialized equipment. Note: My friend Ivy has a giant spider pet! They're really friendly, and help Ivy when she sews things for us :D

Note 2: I guess that makes the giant tarantoulas not so dangerous, if you can tame them... Either that, or Ivy's way cooler than she lets on! (I like to believe the second one). - Written by: Aspen Molore.

[solmoraproject]

Mushroom forests:

Surrounding many entrances to the Yugamas cave system there are mushroom forests. The mushrooms outside have evolved to become much, much taller, and are somehow able to attract the clouds that cover the skies of Solmora, making it rain constantly. Still, the ground is very stable and un-muddy. Spiders are very, very rare, as they never wander outside the cave, but sometimes they can be found, and when they are found, it is always some of the biggest ones. Again, these are passive unless attacked, so it is far safer, but it is still not recommended to interact with them.

Note: I've really enjoyed my time here, I took some pictures of the large trees, and the glowing mushrooms make it really easy to walk around at night.

Also, did you know Eolia is constantly struggling to move away from these forests? They always have to be on the lookout for them, since the mushrooms attract the entire metropolis towards itself.

-Written by: Aspen Molore

[solmoraproject]

The Yugamas cave sistem:

This is the biggest cave system in Solmora, according to estimates. The caves are widely known for their large (and small) glowing mushrooms, their colors vary, but most are blue, or a shade of purple. Aside from the mushrooms' existence, there isn't much known about them. There are rumors of beasts, primordial monsters, etcetera, but the only instance of recorded life inhabitting the cave so far have been giant spiders. It is advised to avoid any instance of these spiders, as their bite has unknown effects. The giant ones are passive, but will attack if attacked first. Their webs glow just like the mushrooms, it is recommended not to touch them, and extraction is made with specialized equipment. Note: My friend Ivy has a giant spider pet! Corna isn't too fond of it, but I like it! Ivy seems happy around it, too. She takes good care of animals.

-Written by: Aspen Molore

[solmoraproject]

Solmora's hotsprings: Hydra resort.

The hydra resort is a location separate from any main city or village in Solmora, surrounded by thermal waters that surprisingly aren't connected to Leviathas ocean. This place was built way before the human-monster war, and it was used as a neutral location during those times. It has a very old architecture and aesthetic, made out of bricks and cement, but it is kept in perfect condition due to a mixture of monster magic, and the usage of Serravine, giving the resort a nice, blue glow at night. The place is open all day, every day, though at night the staff is mostly composed of owl monsters, or owl-born humans.

Despite being… in the middle of nowhere, Hydra resort receives many visitors everyday! Tired workers, people on vacation, or beast hunters, they all can enjoy the warm thermal waters at a low entry cost… If you don't count how much it may cost to go there, at least.

Note: I'm an owl-born! Is it noticeable? We sleep a lot less than regular humans, or even other sign-borns, so I have a lot more time to research and write!

-Written by: Aspen Molore

[solmoraproject]

Solmora's flying metropolis: Eolia

"A flying metropolis?" Yes, a flying metropolis! It floats on the clouds thanks to a large concentration of a special mineral called "Aerialite", a crystalline mineral with strong diamagnetic properties, it repels the magnetic currents of Solmora’s core, allowing massive structures to hover and drift naturally through the air. Most of what keeps the place running is built within the clouds themselves.

Aerialite is such an interesting material, but we must keep our focus to the topic at hand, Eolia.

The metropolis has many, many districts. It was built during the monster-human war as a way for humans to escape in case their numbers dwindled to a minimum. The districts include; a Culture district, entertainment district, shopping district, living district, and an ecological and agricultural district.

Note 3: Flora is found everywhere in Eolia, but the inclusion of a district specifically dedicated to plants and agriculture is something the writer of this article really likes.

The living district:

The culture district already has a good amount of student living spaces, along with shops (which happens to all the other districts, too!), but of course, as the name suggests, the main aspect of this place are the living spaces. There are also many parties and festivals which take place here due to the population volumes, and everyone is happy and willing to share their culture with others.

Some of the celebrations include the Flower festival, where flowers and other similar decorations are placed all around, along with a pleasant, floral scent permeating the air. Some people like opening their windows during this event, so the smell can enter their homes and remind them that it is okay to relax and get a good day of rest when needed.

The festival takes place in the first week of spring, symbolizing growth and new begginings. The smell also has cultural significance, since the peace treaty between humans and monsters took at a similar time near spring, and after peace was signed, a floral smell seemed to permeate the air all around Solmora. It is a good reminder of how far our society has got, and how much further it can get if we work together and in harmony. The flower festival last three days, during which any employee may choose not to work, and instead rest at home, smelling the flowers.

This is also where most office work takes place, there are very, very tall skyscrapers where people go to. It is unnecesary, as most work from home, but many enjoy having a physical place assosiated to their tasks to keep their work/life balance in check.

Note 4: As the writer and editor of this article, I would personally REALLY love to see a flower festival in person!

The shopping district:

Food, gear, potions, materials, clothing and other technology are all sold in the shopping district! Interestingly, there is a strict policy on pets; they must always be on a leash, and the owners must carry a bag for their pet's waste to pick it up. Also, there are pet shops in here, but they don't sell pets, they only allow for adoption. Of course, everything else is sold, too (collars, pet food, etc). Pets are considered life-long companions on Solmora, their deaths mourned as that of a close family member, which would explain the policy's strict enforcement not to keep pets as mere status symbols.

Also, the metropolis' imports and exports happen here, there is a harbor, refered to as "Sky sailing harbor" by the locals, with many flying ships and airplanes, which take off after being loaded with cargo.

Near the harbor, of course, is Eolia's airport, where comercial flights and the like land and take off in. There isn't much else to note, however, this is the most visited place in Eolia for adventurers who want to upgrade their gear.

Note 5: Sadly, there are no special events that occur here… But it is interesting to me how much variety of merchandise there is available.

The culture district:

This is the most interesting place in all of Eolia, no doubt. The culture district holds great pride in its museums, which show off a variety of well researched, mindfully redacted and safely kept cultures, both human and monster. One of this events includes the monster-human war, where the events themselves are told with as close fidelity to reality as possible.

It is also where the best university resides, Eolia University. The culture district of Eolia metropolis has been and is leader in both human and monster rights around the entire region, and Eolia University is well respected for its scientific papers and studies, both fighting for equality for everyone.

Note 6: This district's director is not great with names… For example, did you know all the museums here are named after which events or timelines they portray?

Entertainment district:

The (real) cultural and celebratory center of all Solmora. Festivals happen on a week-to-week basis, celebrating a large variety of both human and monster cultures, along with many other things. For example, there's Eolia's movie theater, where the result of human and monster cultural exchange is best shown; through movies! There is also a smaller library immediatly next to it, where you can get the books some movies are based off of. Personally though, the movies tend to be better, more improved versions of the books.

This is also where another event takes place, where awards are granted to some of the 'best movies' under multiple categories. Here are some of the categories: 'Best rated by public', 'Hidden gem' and 'Best soundtrack'.

Note 7: The parties here are also insane! I'm not a party person though, so I can't really write on that…

The ecological and agricultural district:

This one took me a long time to research, due to the large variety of animals and plants that are kept in there, so here is my best attempt:

The ecological and agricultural district of Eolia is the manifestation of all our civilization's acknowledgement, care and love for the enviroment of our planet, Solmora. It compiles many, many plants and animals in custom-built habitats and greenhouses for preservation and research purposes. It is by far the largest district, situated right at the centre of the circle-shaped metropolis of Eolia. But it is not just greenhouses and habitats in here, some of the more social animals are allowed to roam freely to interact with people, and there are also plently of plazas situated around, with benches, swings and the like that allow Eolia citizens to enjoy nature as much as their hearts desire.

Eolia's main district also has more practical uses. For example, the plants help decontaminate the air, which has shown to help keep Eolia's magnetic field stable and the metropolis afloat, as well as being a self-sustaining source of food for the people living in Eolia, which would explain the low food costs in here (Seriously, eating here is suprisingly not that expensive, at least with vegetarian food).

Interestingly, there isn't much automation in the agricultural side of things; voluntary work is always welcome. Many citizens participate in community efforts within the district, be it tending to crops, caring for the fauna, or assisting researchers. This voluntary work is not only deeply valued culturally, but also recognized economically; in return for their help maintaining the heart of Eolia, participants are granted access to subsidized housing within the Living District, or in some cases, rent-free residency. This symbiotic relationship between citizen and city is one of the many reasons Eolia is often praised as a model of balance between progress, ecology, and equity.

Note 8: I went to do some of the manual labor at the agricultural area. It was fun, but it's really tiring...

The most common plants and animals around the ecological and agricultural district:

Here are some of the most common plants and animals I found during my visit, researching these was a lot of fun!

The Bloomroot Lotus:

A large, glowing aquatic flower found in Eolia’s artificial wetlands. Its petals react to nearby emotional states, blooming wide in the presence of joy or calm, and closing tight near distress or conflict. It’s commonly used as a peace-indicator in therapy gardens and quiet zones. The roots are edible and used in tea that’s said to "soothe the soul."

Pebblecaps:

A type of mushroom, often confused with normal, everyday rocks. Native to plain landscapes, they have large, durable heads that touch the ground, keeping most of the inner body hidden. When stepped on, they compress and then launch the weight off them with surprising force, like living trampolines. Their spores smell faintly like cinnamon and are studied for energy transfer properties. There aren't that many of these, but some monsters like to use them to practice their flight and gliding skills, especially the younger ones.

Gloom Petal:

The gloom petal is a small flower native to the jungles. It is a pink flower with five to seven petals, known for its sweet scent. It is used on many things; crushed for spices and syrups, mixed into potions as an anti-depressant and a way to prevent memory loss, and it is used as bait in fishing and hunting, although its early harvesting was really dangerous, as its sweet scent atracted predators, especially in high concentrations.

Inside the district, Mimimites and Cloudweavers enjoy the smell of the flower, and tend to rest close to them.

Cloudweaver foxes:

Small animals with long, silken fur that floats slightly behind them in wispy tendrils. Their three tails split like mist in the air. They use them to hyptonize prey, but they're very shy around people; even in large packs, they will run away when approached. They emit a trail of mist that reflects recent movements or figures it’s seen, creating hazy, ghostlike illusions that trail behind it. This is a survival mechanism, but they are also very pretty to look at in large packs.

Cloudweaver's natural habitat is the Jade Forest. where they eat apples that fall off the trees, although what they prey on is still unknown. In Eolia's agricultural and ecological district, however, they like hanging out in cloudy areas closer to the inner facility's edges. In the past, some cloudweavers unfortunately fell out of Eolia through the openings in the facilities' fences, which is why now there are half-walls instead.

Interestingly, some farmers use them to guard crop zones, as the illusions confuse pests or predators, and their mist is studied by illusion magic researchers, sometimes bottled into potion ingredients to amplify perception or hide movements.

Fun fact: These shy creatures really enjoy getting affection! They often wait for people to sit down on one of the many plaza's benches, and slowly approach them for company. Some even have favorite people they like visiting, and you can even adopt them if you feel so inclined!

Mimimites:

Small critter insects with fragile wings that change color constantly in a pastel, undersaturated hue. They are very passive, and they can imitate almost any sound that they hear in a soft, melodic tone. They are common in high-altitude gardens and some areas of the agricultural district; especially attracted to musical instruments and humming. Also local to the Jade forest, they sometimes like to scare off Cloudweavers by making noise.

They are often kept as companions by writers and storytellers as natural voice recorders, along with being used for mailing back in the day, when we didn't have the internet of electricity. Some still like to use them, though. They are also used to scare off certain flying birds from farmer's crops, along with being trained to act as pest alarms and being used to lure animals while hunting.

Note 9: I use them, personally! They're great to send messages, and keep my data safe!

Serravine:

A bright teal vine with saw-like edges on its leaves. It coils around nearby structures and trees, shimmering slightly when exposed to sunlight. It was used in the early days for building homes and keeping structures stable, nowadays its great for decor. It grows on forest trees, and it is highly reactive to touch. The moment pressure is applied to the leaves or vines, it curls inward protectively and stiffens like wire, sometimes trapping prey and later fertilizing the tree it grew on, so it must be handled carefully.

In Eolia, the vines in public parks have been genetically modified for decoration, able to store sunlight and be used as lightsources when night arrives, saving a lot of electricity expenses. The original Serravines are kept in greenhouses.

This plant is often used to make natural armors, rope, or reinforcement for structures in Eolia. Its leaves can be used to make a calming, pain-relieving soup, often accompanied with other ingrediets to be used as natural medicine. it is very spicy, however.

-Written by: Aspen Molore

[solmoraproject]

One of many volcanoes in Solmora: Lion's Den.

(Note that the volcano was only named that due to the extremely high temperatures that surround it, no actual lions have been recorded to live in the area.)

A tall, hollow mountain is the center of one of the most dangerous areas of Solmora for humans, not so for monsters. Ash permeates the ground, along with smoke and embers. The volcano is known for erupting often, but despite this, the air surrounding it is very breathable due to microorganisms that absorb the harmful chemicals in the air to feed.

It is rumored that at its center is a mighty lion made of fire and molten rock and that its cries are the cause of the volcanoes erruptions, and it cries due to the loss of his master, longing for them to return. This place is home to the Emris tree. It grows from the ash filled terrain with a thick, black log, with orange, luminiscent leaves growing out of the branches. These leaves are very spicy, and used for flavor in cooking.

Another species (so far the only other aside from the monsters who live in villages around the area, are Obsidian shell armadillos. Their thick external shells made from the obsidian created from the lava that flows down from the volcano.

Obsidian shell armadillos, or just Ormadillos for short, have a mostly spherical body with a long tail. At the end of their tail, they wield something resembling a mace; a small sphere with many obsidian spikes coming out of it. They seem to use these for self-defense purposes only, as they prefer to eat from the leaves of the Emris tree, often rolling straight at the tree's log for the leaves to fall off.

Note 3: Seeing the Ormadillos rolling onto trees to eat the leaves is really fun, personally.

-Written by: Corna Secal

[solmoraproject]

Plants and species in Solmora:

There are many plants and animal species in Solmora. Although I haven't been able to research all of them yet, but here's my favorite mushroom and my favorite creature species:

Note 1: Are mushrooms plants...?

Mushroom #1: Pebblecaps

These are really funny. Their stem is very short, and they have a large, brown or gray head that covers them almost entirely, making them resemble a small rock.

Whenever something or someone steps or falls onto it, the mushroom gets 'squeezed' and releases a myriad of spores around itself, before launching whatever fell onto it many meters into the air. Think like a jumpad, except it reproduces whenever someone 'jumps' on it. Said spores smell faintly of cinnamon.

Some flying monsters like using these to teach their young how to fly, hopping off a pebblecap and violently flapping their wings in an attempt to achieve this before being saved by their parents once they fall.

Species #1: Land Seals.

Land Seals are a creature found in the forests of Solmora. They have sharp claws at the end of their front flippers and a spherical-esque body, with thick layers of fat. They are pretty weak hunters, but it is very easy for them to sneak around, as their galloping makes no noise on the grass. They also have flippers on the back of their bodies, making them fitter for swimming in rivers, which they do, but they seem to prefer the land more.

Some roll off hills on their sleep, landing on a pebblecap and bouncing several meters into the air, landing safely and still being able to sleep.

Along with most lifeforms in Solmora, Land Seals are omnivores. They eat fruit that falls from trees, being most commonly seen on Jade Forest, and hunt cloudweavers at night when they sleep. They are also very social, always hanging out on packs and some even share their food if you ask them nicely enough!

Note 2: You can't really TALK with the seals, but they seem to understand language well enough. I wonder if they have a language of their own...

-Written by: Aspen Molore