#ildafir verse

[mjmnorwood]

A bit of news! I have just finished the first draft of The Worth of a Crown, the second book in my Ildafir trilogy :D

[mjmnorwood]

WIP Cameo Tag

Thank you so much for the tag @dc-hollis​! Even just thinking about the possibility of The Perception of a Poison being adapted is so exciting!!

Rules: Congrats! Your book has been adapted into a movie or show! What background character are you going to play for your cameo? And what visual medium would best suit your book?

There are a couple of characters with small roles I think could work. First option is Ethel, who is one of the murder victim’s servants and appears in one scene to give some important information for the investigation. The second option (and the one I would be most eager to play) is Aude, a senior palace servant who shows the main trio around and generally facilitates their snooping! The catch with this is that Aude is an older woman, so I guess I’d only be able to play her if the book got adapted later in my life?

When it comes to the medium, I think a TV series would be best as the fact it’s a mystery means the plot needs to build more slowly than is possible in a film. It would work well as live action, but my heart’s desire would be an animated series, just because I love animation (this would also mean I could play Aude at any age!)

I tag @thewalkingnerdx​, @writingonesdreams​, @jennawritesstories​, @howdy-writes​, @talesofsorrowandofruin​, @josephinegerardywriter​, @akindofmagictoo​, @morganwriteblr​ (with no pressure ofc!) plus anyone else who wants to do it :D 

[mjmnorwood]

Incorrect quotes tag

tagged by @thewalkingnerdx and @talesofsorrowandofruin, thank you both! Incorrect quotes are one of my fave fandom things, so this was loads of fun :D

Rules: use this incorrect quotes generator to create quotes for your OCs

Gonna put these under a cut to avoid clogging people’s dashes!

Ramat: Strength is forgiving someone who’s not even sorry. Syra: Not to be dramatic but I would literally rather die.

~

Syra: You think I really give a fuck? I can’t even read.

~

Ramat: I trust Syra. Caenan: You think she knows what she’s doing? Ramat: I wouldn’t go that far.

~

Syra: Fuck. Master Osmond: We’ve got to work on your cursing. Syra: Why? I’m pretty good at cursing already.

~

Syra: Dandelions symbolise everything I want to be in life. Caenan: Fluffy and dead with a gust of wind? Syra: Unapologetic. Hard to kill. Feral, filled with sunlight, bright, beautiful in a way that the conventional and controlling hate but cannot ever fully destroy. Ramat: Edible.

~

Syra: I can explain. Master Osmond: Can you? Syra: If you give me thirty seconds to think of a lie.

~

Syra: Who thinks I can fit 15 marshmallows in my mouth? Caenan: You’re a hazard to society. Ramat: And a coward. DO TWENTY.

~

Caenan: Why are you on the floor? Syra: I’m depressed. Syra: Also, I was stabbed, can you get Master Osmond, please?

~

Master Osmond, tending to Syra’s wounds: How would you rate your pain? Syra: Zero stars. Would NOT recommend.

~

Ramat: If you can’t beat them, dress better than them.

~

Ramat: I've already sent good vibes your way… they’re coming. There’s nothing you can do to stop them. Syra: This is the most threatening way I’ve ever been cheered up.

~

Caenan: Can you please be serious for five minutes? Ramat: My record is four, but I think I can do it.

~

Tagging @jennawritesstories, @dc-hollis, @writingonesdreams, @howdy-writes, @akindofmagictoo, @josephinegerardywriter, @morganwriteblr (with no pressure ofc) and anyone else who wants a go!

[mjmnorwood]

WIP Themes Tag Game

Tagged by @morganwriteblr, thank you!

Rules: Bold the themes that appear in your WIP & italicize those that are loosely covered. Tag 10 people.

Doing this for The Perception of a Poison. This game is a really good exercise actually, it’s gotten me to think hard about my WIP!

addiction | beauty | betrayal | change vs. tradition | chaos vs. order | circle of life | coming of age  | communication | convention vs. rebellion | corruption | courage | crime and law | dangers of ignorance | darkness and light | death | desire to escape | dreams | displacement | empowerment | facing darkness | facing reality | faith vs. doubt | fall from grace | fame and fortune | family | fate | fear | fear of failure | free will | friendship | fulfillment | good vs. bad | government | greed | guilt and forgiveness | hard work | heroism | hierarchy | honesty | hope | identity crisis | immortality | independence | individual vs. society | inner vs. outer strength | innocence | injustice | isolation | knowledge vs. ignorance | life | loneliness | lost love | love | man vs. nature | manipulation | materialism | motherhood | nature | nature vs. nurture | oppression | optimism | peer pressure | poverty | power | power of words | prejudice | pride | progress | quest | racism | rebirth | relationships | religion | responsibility | revenge | sacrifice | secrets | self-awareness | self-preservation | self-reliance | sexuality | social class structure | survival | technology | temptation and destruction | time | totalitarianism | weakness | vanity | war | wealth | wisdom of experience | youth

I tag @thewalkingnerdx, @writingonesdreams, @dc-hollis, @howdy-writes, @jennawritesstories, @akindofmagictoo, @t-lane-writes, @the-orangeauthor, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @josephinegerardywriter if you want to have a go!

[mjmnorwood]

Djarn’s character maker is possibly the picrew with the widest range of options I have yet come across, and I had a blast making the main characters from The Perception of a Poison!

Top row - Syra and Ramat

Bottom row - Caenan and Master Osmond (side note: this is the first time I’ve been able to make a version of Master Osmond that I am happy with. It is honestly so hard to find picrews for characters older than their twenties, but look, he has wrinkles! Also, the gills option even works as plague scars, which is not something I thought I’d ever find!)

Gonna add the TPoaP taglist, just let me know if you want to be added/removed.

@sybil-writes, @dczwrites, @permissiontobreathe, @ladywithalamp, @tea-em0, @thewalkingnerdx, @winnieleighwrites, @lostinmyfictionaluniverses, @mudtomagic, @adaparkwrites, @by-the-way-its-may, @dreamlande, @akindofmagictoo, @stardustandsun, @ryns-ramblings, @jennawritesstories

[mjmnorwood]

New WIP alert!! Given that The Perception of a Poison is now on its second round of beta-reading I figured it was time to finally bite the bullet and start writing its first sequel, The Worth of a Crown. This is incredibly nerve-wracking, but also so exciting because I have been thinking about this plot and these new characters for literal  y e a r s

Basically, all that’s going on in my head right now is this gif:

Wish me luck, folks! This is my first time writing a sequel, so it’s uncharted territory...

[mjmnorwood]

WIP Intro: The Perception of a Poison

Genre - Fantasy

Audience - Young Adult

POV - Third person limited

Status - Fourth draft complete, undergoing second round of beta-reading

Blurb -

“Keep your head down, do as you’re told, and stay out of trouble.”

Not exactly complicated instructions, but difficult ones for Syra Jannavi to follow. Keeping quiet isn’t in her nature, particularly when it comes to commoners’ rights.

But when her parents send her to train as an apothecary’s apprentice in Castellyn, the faraway capital city, she’s determined to be dutiful. That is, until her new master is summoned to the palace to examine the body of a poisoned noble. Syra can’t help but get involved, because the outcome of the investigation could have devastating repercussions for every commoner in the kingdom.

Characters -

Syra Jannavi, the protagonist. She is quick-witted and tenacious, anxious to solve the murder both for political reasons, and to protect the innocents involved. However, her determination can lead to recklessness, and what exactly is she hiding about why she came to Castellyn?

Prince Caenan. He is the second son, the spare heir, and a private supporter of the progressive faction at court. Private until the murder, that is, when he realises that if he truly wants to help, he has to get involved.

Ramat Ikeba. He’s the tailor’s son next door, and Syra’s new best friend. He isn’t exactly prepared to be dragged into a murder investigation, but, well, someone has to look after Syra and the Prince.

Master Lewin Osmond, Syra’s teacher and first-cousin-once-removed on her father’s side. Despite not really wanting an apprentice, he agreed to take Syra on from family obligation, without quite realising the challenges that would bring.

+ a whole host of characters best revealed in the course of the mystery...

What to expect!

Class tensions, a good ol’ mystery plot, worldbuilding, found family, and a hopeful tone despite dark events (it’ll make you laugh, too!)

Ask to be added to the taglist!

(I.D. below the cut)

[I.D. An aesthetic board featuring four images: a set of brass weighing scales, a foxglove frond, a medieval castle, and a hand pouring something into a pestle and mortar. All the images are slightly cool-toned and desaturated. A band across the centre bears the title ‘The Perception of a Poison’ in capitals. End I.D.]

[mjmnorwood]

Magic in the world of Ildafir

Overview...

The magic system in The Perception of a Poison (WIP intro here) is based on different types of energy. Mages can emit or absorb energy to produce fantastical effects. They are rare—country folk will only come across two or three mages in their whole lifetime, though this number is higher in cities due to the greater population density. As a result of their rarity, people often have extreme reactions to mages: awe, fear, or both.

Types of mage...

[I.D. A banner of motion-blurred flowers, bearing the title ‘MOTUMAGES’ with the subheading ‘Movers and Shakers’. End I.D.]

Motumages control kinetic energy. Motumagic has perhaps the most diverse range of functions in the Ildafir-verse. From combat to art to moving freight, you name it, a motumage has probably done it at one point or another. Being able to manipulate objects without touching them means they can do things normal people would find impossible. For instance, in Ildafir, where the principle religion is Astrinity, studying the sky is seen as a holy practice and telescopes are sacred objects. Motumages can produce far more accurate, advanced lenses than ordinary craftsmen, by using their magic to directly shape molten glass.

[I.D. A banner of red-hot coals, bearing the title ‘ARDOMAGES’ with the subheading ‘The Fire Strikers’. End I.D.]

Ardomages control heat energy. This doesn’t make them firebenders⁠—they manipulate heat energy in fire, not fire itself. Ardomagic has many domestic applications, but more adventurous ardomages work as firefighters, drawing heat out of house fires and transferring it to barrels of water, or even directly into the ground. They can also enter burning buildings with (relatively) more safety than other people, using their magic to direct heat away from themselves. Some ardomages are soldiers, but using ardomagic in combat takes a strong stomach—the effects of abruptly raising or lowering a person’s body temperature are not pleasant.

Master Osmond, Syra’s teacher in TPoaP, is an ardomage. He usually uses his skills in brewing medicines (though he does volunteer part-time with the fire brigade in the summer).

[I.D. A banner of soft-focus yellow light, bearing the title ‘LUXMAGES’ with the subheading ‘Illuminators and Illusionists’. End I.D.]

Luxmages control light energy. As well as the obvious benefit of never needing to carry a lamp, this ability allows them to project images. Luxmages can shape light to create illusions, from simple sparks conjured by beginner mages, to realistic, 3D projections of people by experts. Luxmages often find employment in entertainment. They can also help in Astran religious ceremonies (for example by projecting an image seen down a telescope for a whole congregation to see).

Prince Caenan, one of the deuteragonists in TPoaP, is a luxmage. He resents his abilities because they mark him out as different, only adding to the disconnection he feels as a prince (he also can’t help but feel that if he had a more ‘manly’ form of magic, like ardomagic or fulgumagic, his father might be more impressed).

[I.D. A banner of lyre strings against a forest background, bearing the title ‘SONOMAGES’ with the subheading ‘Auditory Artists’. End I.D.]

Sonomages control sound energy. They can mimic noises, play music, or create silence. Sonomages almost exclusively work in entertainment—the capabilities of a whole troupe of musicians in a single person make them highly sought-after. Some sonomages combine conjuring music with elaborate dance routines, and are among the most well-regarded performers in the land. Sonomages can also amplify sounds, making them excellent heralds. The fact that so many sonomages are entertainers means that a lot of people regard them as the ‘softest’ type of mage, but they should not be underestimated. Sound, when manipulated by skilled hands, can be powerful in its own way.

[I.D. A banner of lightning striking across a dark blue sky, bearing the title ‘FULGUMAGES’ with the subheading ‘The Feared Sparks’. End I.D.]

Fulgumages control electrical energy, and are the rarest type of mage (with ardomages a close second). This is not because they are born less often—all different types of mage occur with about the same frequency—but because they are more likely to die young. The sad fact is that uncontrolled electricity is dangerous, and no mage is born knowing how to control their power. Fulgumages are feared, and almost always find employment in combat-related roles. Since Ildafir is a pre-industrial society, there are not many other uses for electricity.

The limits of magic...

All mages’ abilities are limited by the amount of energy they can put out (extreme fatigue is the usual consequence of grand acts of magic) or take in (the human body can only hold so much extra energy). The most skilled mages can channel energy from their environment, taking it in and immediately emitting it to produce their desired effect. For example, a luxmage casting an incredibly complex illusion might take in light energy from their surroundings. Mages have to be careful when channelling energy, though; getting the balance wrong can lead to injury, or even death.

Mages in society...

Magic is almost universally accepted in Ildafir (though regarded with some awe) but there is a sect of Astrinity that sees magic as blasphemous. Followers of this sect (known as Harmonists) believe that magic disrupts the gods’ influence on the world, causing natural disasters. They also believe that use of magic keeps spirits from ascending to the heavens after death, leading to the creation of restless ghosts. The popularity of Harmonism in Ildafir is growing, which the mage characters in TPoaP find more than a little worrying...

[mjmnorwood]

Syra ~ Caenan ~ Ramat

I was tagged by @writingonesdreams to make my characters using this (link embedded) picrew! Thanks for the tag, this was a lot of fun :D

Syra and Caenan turned out so well! And I think I still managed to get Ramat’s general vibe, even though he should be considerably chubbier.

I’ll tag folks on the TPoaP taglist, have a go if you wanna! @sybil-writes, @dczwrites, @permissiontobreathe, @ladywithalamp, @thewalkingnerdx, @winnieleighwrites, @lostinmyfictionaluniverses, @mudtomagic, @adaparkwrites, @by-the-way-its-may, @dreamlande :D

[mjmnorwood]

Character Vice and Virtue Tag

Tagged by @writingamongthecoloredroses​, thank you!

The game: Bold where your character falls on each scale of traits.

This looks fun so I’m going to do it for each of the main trio in The Perception of a Poison :D

Syra -

Distrustful …. Cautious …. Loyal …. Faithful …. Too Trusting

Ignorant …. Suspicious …. Discerning …. Shrewd …. Know-It-All

Shy …. Reserved …. Sociable …. Outgoing …. Pushy

Stingy …. Thrifty …. Frugal …. Generous …. Careless with resources

Cowardly …. Scared …. Fearful …. Brave …. Reckless

Tongue-tied …. Timid …. Communicative …. Eloquent …. Talks over people

Self-doubting …. Unsure …. Confident …. Self-assured …. Arrogant (This one is interesting for Syra because she acts really confident, but is actually very insecure—resolving this is a big part of her character arc).

Caenan -

Distrustful …. Cautious …. Loyal …. Faithful …. Too Trusting

Ignorant …. Suspicious …. Discerning …. Shrewd …. Know-It-All

Shy …. Reserved …. Sociable …. Outgoing …. Pushy

Stingy …. Thrifty …. Frugal …. Generous …. Careless with resources (The boy’s a prince, he’s never experienced scarcity in his life).

Cowardly …. Scared …. Fearful …. Brave …. Reckless

Tongue-tied …. Timid …. Communicative …. Eloquent …. Talks over people

Self-doubting …. Unsure …. Confident …. Self-assured …. Arrogant

Ramat -

Distrustful …. Cautious …. Loyal …. Faithful …. Too Trusting

Ignorant …. Suspicious …. Discerning …. Shrewd …. Know-It-All

Shy …. Reserved …. Sociable …. Outgoing …. Pushy

Stingy …. Thrifty …. Frugal …. Generous …. Careless with resources

Cowardly …. Scared …. Fearful …. Brave …. Reckless

Tongue-tied …. Timid …. Communicative …. Eloquent …. Talks over people

Self-Doubting …. Unsure …. Confident …. Self-assured …. Arrogant

I tag @sybil-writes, @thewalkingnerdx, @writingonesdreams, @chauceryfairytales, @dczwrites, @howdy-writes, @tieflingish, @jennawritesstories, @daftydrafty if you want to do it! Also anyone else who wants to have a go, feel free to consider this a tag :D

[mjmnorwood]

Happy STS from writingamongthecoloredroses! What's the age order of your main cast?

Thank you!

Syra, Ramat and Caenan are all 16 in TPoaP. Ramat is the oldest by a quite a few months, then Syra, and then Caenan is the youngest (he only turned 16 a short while before the start of the book).

Master Osmond is 37, and Syra sees him as old even though he really isn’t lmao

[mjmnorwood]

Character flaws tag game

Tagged by @thewalkingnerdx and @sybil-writes, thank you both!!

Doing this for Syra...

absent-minded | abusive | addict | aggressive | aimless | alcoholic | anxious | arrogant | audacious | bad liar | bigmouth | bigot | blindly obedient | blunt | callous | childish | chronic heroism | clingy | clumsy | cocky | competitive | corrupt | cowardly | cruel | cynical | delinquent | delusional | dependent | depressed | deranged | disloyal | ditzy | egotistical | envious | erratic | fickle | finicky | flaky | frail | fraudulent | guilt complex | gloomy | gluttonous | gossiper | gruff | gullible | hedonistic | humorless | hypochondriac | hypocritical | idealist | idiotic | ignorant | immature | impatient | incompetent | indecisive | insecure | insensitive | lazy | lewd | liar | lustful | manipulative | masochistic | meddlesome | melodramatic | money-loving | moody | naive | nervous | nosy | ornery | overprotective | overly sensitive | paranoid | passive-aggressive | perfectionist | pessimist | petty | power-hungry | proud | pushover | reckless (this is literally one of the chapter titles lmao) | reclusive | remorseless | rigorous | sadistic | sarcastic | senile | selfish | self-martyr | shallow | sore loser | spineless | spiteful | spoiled | stubborn | tactless | temperamental | timid | tone-deaf | traitorous | unathletic | ungracious | unlucky | unsophisticated | untrustworthy | vain | withdrawn | workaholic

I tag @writingonesdreams, @chauceryfairytales, @dczwrites, @jennawritesstories, @writingamongthecoloredroses, @tieflingish, @lo-writes-things if you want to do it! Also if anyone sees this and wants to have a go, consider this a tag :D

[mjmnorwood]

OC Introduction: Prince Caenan

Caenan is one of the main trio in The Perception of a Poison. (WIP Intro)

Description

Age – 16 in TPoaP

Pronouns – he/him

Hair – short, brown, and wavy

Eyes – grey

Skin tone – naturally pale with a light tan in the summer from training outside

Build – athletic

Height – 6’0’’

Other defining features – Caenan doesn’t care much about his appearance and prefers loose, practical clothes to fashionable ones (until Ramat shows him it is possible to be both practical and fashionable). He always has at least a few knocks and scrapes from the training yard.

Personality

Caenan is the most serious of the main trio, but over the course of his friendship with Syra and Ramat, he learns to be more light-hearted. He is insecure in his own abilities, always feeling himself to be second-best to his older brother—he is even referred to as the ‘spare heir’. He has difficulty trusting others, and is very lonely. People often treat him differently due to the fact that he is both a prince and a luxmage (meaning he can control light energy). He is naturally kind, and has a better rapport with commoners than most nobles, though he can still be ignorant.

Backstory

Caenan is the second son of King Arnaud and Queen Juliana of Ildafir. From a very young age, it was clear that the monarchs favoured Prince Miles, their older son, and lavished most of their attention on him. Caenan’s parental figures were servants. As a result of this, he respects commoners more than most nobles.

There have been several assassination attempts on the monarchs during Caenan’s lifetime, orchestrated by nobles with eyes on the throne. These have only strengthened Caenan’s trust issues (particularly with other nobles).

Caenan was educated by tutors appointed by his parents—including magic tutoring from age six, when his luxmage abilities fully manifested. At age seven he joined the pages training at the palace and built friendships with them, though full trust was still hard. He enjoyed the combat exercises, and still finds the training courts a good place to unwind—though it is always a source of difficulty that Miles remains consistently better than him in every field apart from unarmed combat.

When Caenan was fourteen the other pages left to become squires, leaving him lonely once again as his parents wouldn’t allow him to leave home. He has filled his days by helping to train the younger pages, and found that he really enjoys teaching. His father also started allowing him to attend political meetings.

Over the years, Caenan has begun to question his parents’ way of ruling, and by the beginning of TPoaP, he has started to become invested in commoners’ rights.

Other character intros: Syra Jannavi, Ramat Ikeba, Master Osmond

Ask to be added to/removed from the taglist!

(I.D. below the cut)

[I.D. A moodboard of four squares. The first has an image of a statue in black stone, of a young man holding a crown in the air. The second is a blue square with the quote, “You mustn’t tell anyone of this. I’m not supposed to get involved, but... I just have to.”. The third square is a burst of white light on a grey-blue background. The final square shows a medieval castle. All the images are cool-toned. End I.D.]

[mjmnorwood]

Happy STS!! What’s the author dream you have? Book signings, Q&A’s, the WIP being a movie/show, etc.

Thank you! I really really want to see fanart, the idea of someone caring enough about my characters to draw them makes me so happy!! I’d also love the Ildafir-verse to get popular enough that I can financially justify writing a load of books set in it—I have two ideas for sequels to TPoaP, then a standalone book about two novice Astran monks, another book or possible trilogy about the first girl to go to university in Castellyn, and a story about a mage in Feroland (a country southeast of Ildafir where magic is seen as blasphemous). Book series where you have multiple stories set in the same universe (think Discworld, the Vorkosiverse, the Tortall books etc.) are basically my fave form of storytelling, and I really want to write something like that.

[mjmnorwood]

OC Introduction: Master Lewin Osmond

Master Osmond is Syra’s teacher in The Perception of a Poison. (WIP Intro)

Description

Age – 37 in TPoaP

Pronouns – he/him

Hair – short, blond, and neatly combed, just starting to go grey at the temples

Eyes – green

Skin tone – pale and made paler by working mostly indoors

Build – lanky

Height – 6’2’’

Other defining features – Master Osmond has blotchy, purplish scars on his neck. These are common amongst people his age and older, and mark out survivors of a plague that swept through Ildafir twenty-three years before the start of TPoaP. He has a large, aquiline nose—the only feature he and Syra share. He is always very neat with his appearance, and tends to dress in duller colours.

Personality

Master Osmond has a serious demeanour which hides a sarcastic, dry sense of humour. He can be irritable, and is often short with both Syra and Ramat, but they take this in good humour since they know that despite his prickly exterior, he is gentle at heart. He has a tendency towards anxiety which leads him to worry about small things and to isolate himself from other people, though they still want to be his friends. He is more deferent to nobility than Syra is. His drive is to heal, and he loves his craft as an apothecary. Believing that everyone should have access to medicine, he charges the bare minimum for remedies and makes up the shortfall by selling perfumes and cosmetics.

Backstory

Master Osmond was born in Barony Heroush, in northern Ildafir, but his parents moved to the southern capital Castellyn when he was four, as his father had been offered a promotion to watch sergeant. At school he was given a book on medicine to practice his reading, which led to him finding a love for herbs and healing. Not long after this, he was discovered to be an ardomage (meaning he can control heat energy). This was an annoyance for him, as magic lessons took time away from what he really wanted to do: study the apothecary’s art.

His parents died of the plague when he was fourteen. The next two years of his life were uncertain, but he eventually secured two positions, one as an apothecary’s apprentice and one as a midwife’s assistant. This latter experience means he is more hands-on than most apothecaries, and he still helps his old teacher with difficult births.

He was made an adept apothecary when he was twenty, and took over his own shop at twenty-one. He became a master apothecary when he was twenty-four, one of the youngest in guild history. Since then, Master Osmond has run the shop on his own and attempted to be something of a recluse (though his neighbours, the Ikebas, are far too friendly to let this happen). He volunteers part-time with the fire brigade in the summer, feeling obligated to use his ardomage abilities for firefighting.

A few years before the start of TPoaP, he adopted a tortoiseshell cat he found in a gutter. She is called Little Madam.

Taking on his cousin’s daughter Syra as an apprentice is the biggest change in Master Osmond’s life for many years, and he isn’t quite prepared for the challenges she brings with her…

Other character intros: Syra Jannavi, Prince Caenan, Ramat Ikeba

Ask to be added to/removed from the taglist!

(I.D. below the cut)

[I.D. A moodboard of four squares. The first has an image of pale hands holding a pestle and mortar and grinding ingredients. The second is a brown square with the quote, “It seems I’m to be plagued with sociable people.”. The third square is a burst of orange sparks on a dark background. The final square shows a tortoiseshell cat looking into the camera. End I.D.]

[mjmnorwood]

Happy WBW from writingamongthecoloredroses! What are places of worship like? Are there small churches or massive temples?

Thank you!

There are two main religions that come up in The Perception of a Poison, each with very different places of worship.

Rehiaji has temples. In Ildafir, where TPoaP is set, Rehiaji is a minority religion so the temples are usually on the littler side (and not very common—Rehiaji communities tend to be small, so often the only ‘temple’ people wil have is in the back room of someone’s house). However, in Galad (the home of Rehiaji) the temples can get very grand. They are usually decorated with abstract carvings on the walls and woodwork designs on the doors (alternating squares of dark and light wood is a popular motif). Inside there are statues of the gods, candles and incense, and richly decorated cushions to kneel on during prayer.

Astrinity has ‘prayer courts’. Astrans worship heavenly bodies (Father Sun, Mother Moon, and the Stars). They believe roofs are a barrier to their prayers reaching the heavens, so worship takes place in large open-air courts, often furnished with stone benches. There is usually a little house bordering on the court, where the priest lives and keeps any holy objects that cannot be left out in the elements (e.g. telescopes, holy texts).