What to find in Ion
The city of Bewea can be located in the Overade. The city is known for its older architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The city is a sight to behold at nighttime. The whole city is lit up by lanterns hanging from lampposts, rooftops and from the ships in docks. Many of the buildings are rather tall and some will be overlapping in different ways, so getting lost in the alleyways is always a possibility. You’ll never have a quiet time in Bewea - sailors, pirates and just the average loud residents will make sure of that. There are many old inns, each with its own stories to tell — some even have their own signature drinks and crests.
Bewea
Bewea’s most used material for housing is wood, oxidized copper roofs and stone walls for the bases of the larger, more structurally important buildings. Some parts of the city will have you travel by small boats or walk over wooden planks and bridges. There is this humming feeling in the whole body of the town. It is like the place is overflowing with ancient stored energy, from just being around for as long as it has. Bewea is mostly home to water Nyanarrs and Thalemimis but many recond this city to be a good spot for a short holiday — if you aren’t known for having weak sealegs, that is.
A well-known clan of Thalemimis rule over the town, their name is Alathi and they’re worshippers of the deity, Neiyn. Neiyn is a Thalemimi deity that is known the be the strongest of his own kind. He is both respected and feared by many. The clan of Alathi couldn’t have picked a more fearsome but still familiar deity to worship. The clan itself is also, for many of the same reasons, to be feared and respected. Should you end up on their bad side, many have been known to not be able to dock their ships, being denied access to inns and taverns — some are telling tales of some people even going missing, but that is a claim the clan of Alathi denies wholeheartedly. This makes sense since the clan is one of the biggest investors in the city. They make sure Bewea will stand tall, even in the darkest of storms — there will always be a sunrise at the end, as the clouds part ways for the sun. The clan wants the best for the city of Bewea and for its people — this could be a clue to why many citizens in Bewea aren’t known for being too welcoming until they have gotten to know you as a person, and more importantly — your intentions.
About Bewea
The law system in Bewea has been under some reforming in the later years — to be sure regulations were put in place for the many ships that arrive and dock here. The new system has also made life much more difficult for pirates and other lower-end scammers. Many citizens want Bewea to become a greater city, than it already is. They want people to see past the old, salt-water-covered bridges and old tales of monsters from the depths. The city has so much more to offer, and the rest of Gaidinia needs to open their eyes to this.
The overall decoration of the city is put in place by the clan, Alathi. Symbols that depict or describe Neiyn, are carved into the wooden pillars and planks used for the bridges, ships and houses. Small shrines near key points in the city can be seen in his image as well. Some have even made it so that the wallpapers in their homes show simpler, repeating patterns of Neiyn. Many old tales from many years ago circle the streets and go from mouth to mouth. Kids will often be seen playing as Neiyn and Vas — to reenact the time when Neiyn became a deity. It is also a very known screenplay in the theatre at the town square.
The views you can experience from the docks or from the large windowsills are mostly combined with mountains in the nearby vicinity, along with the in-land rivers that connect the azure waters with the sea. The seasons are also changing here, from Summer to Autumn to Winter to Spring — the cycle goes on here in Bewea, but generally, the Summers and Winters are a bit shorter, while the Spring and Autumn last a bit longer on arrange.
Small otter-like creatures, called Otrék, that live and can be found in the waters around Bewea, hiding in the many rock formations there underneath the docks and coastline. They may not be that large in size but they’re busy workers and they help keep the docks clean from seashells, sails and other smaller shell-like creatures They move quickly in the water. The coats of their water-proof fur can be in different brown and grey shades. Their paws and claws are however always black. Their eyes are a warm orange, matching the many lanterns in Bewea. When the Otréks communicate underwater, a slight glowing effect will show at the ends of the fur and limbs, it will often be warmer colours, but blues and greens have been seen as well. When they speak to each other on land, it sounds more like a deeper bird chirping noise. The Otréks live in smaller packs of five to ten per. group. They aren’t dangerous as they’re very used to being around the many people and busy workdays in Bewea, there is always some sort of noise in this town, however, during nesting season, the males will protect their territories. The nesting season begins in late Spring. The cubs of the Otréks are no more than two per. litter, but their population is not falling, which is only seen as a good thing in Bewea. They are an important part of the ecosystem in Bewea and they’re loved by many children because they’re playful.
Otrék (pl. Otréks)
Simila (pl. Simily)
Simily are very unique flowers that can only be found in Bewea - specifically near the Bewean well. It seems to attract various insect, but unlike many other Gaidinian flowers, Simila is actually a harmless plant. Dragonflies seem to like the smell of the flower so you can see quite a lot of them nearby. Simily are sparkling during the full moons and many Bewean take their time to go and see the beautiful sight every month.
Simily always grow in pair and a legend says that they used to be twins who passed at the same time so this is how they stay together in the afterlife.
The cold nights are getting shorter,
one of the four seasonal quarters.
The freezing grip of Winter — a fierce blizzard,
that has left many travellers frostbitten and withered.
But rejoice! The rivers bring the scent and warmth of Spring.
From the tall grass-covered fields to the forests nested with common fairy rings.
The days are fair, fresh and born anew.
The second seasonal quarter is certainly a welcomed breakthrough.
After a refreshing and time-consuming Spring,
we lock our eyes towards things the shorter summertime might bring.
The light is as certain as the heat,
and we can all feel the warm feeling being spread by our own heartbeat.
Poem: The Seasonal Compass
The Lunar Tide Festival is celebrated in August, on the week of the full moon, also known as the Sturgeon Moon. The festival is a final celebration of the Summer and the opening to the longer, more storm-filled Autumn. It also signals the beginning of the harvesting and gathering for the more difficult months. The Lunar Tide Festival is one of the last outdoor held events in the city of Bewea — many see this as the quote on quote “final freedom” until Spring is upon the Overade again. It is the time to be festive and celebrate and to be delighted that the tides of the open sea and the rivers from inland have brought the whole city some warm and sunlit-filled months of Summer, even if the Summer times in Bewea are shorter, citizens see it as more the reason to celebrate.
The whole city will be decorated with white, blue and light blue flowers, along with light blue and light-grey banners and flags, there will be full moon images on the larger flags and banners. Even ships that are said to arrive in the port will be decorated before or doing their “docking”, to really carry out the pride and call for all to celebrate. Many use this week of celebration to get wed to the love of their life — it is said that the full moon always brings love, charging and healing to the relationship. It is a very fitting place to get wed in Bewea if you are into the more rustic and sea-scented venue — and there are plenty of captains who can wed the many lovebirds.
The city tends to be filled to the brim even in the weeks up to this festival. It has been a tradition in Bewea, for hundreds of years — and the Thalemimi clan, Alathi, makes sure that it stays that way. It brings a lot of business to the city and the already busy and people-filled streets seem even more alive.
The Lunar Tide Festival
The Bewean legends
Sailors are known to be rather superstitious, we all know that but one superstition that has been proven to be true many times over is the tattoos that bring “good fortune” or rather “good luck” to the people who’re the lucky “owner” of said tattoo. Some even believe that if you get a tattoo made in the “wrong” place, or you have angered the tattoo artist, they can use the ink to carve misfortune in under your skin, cursing you.
The Legend of the Tattoos of Bewea
The legend started out in Bewea because so many sailors and pirates over the years had been getting tattoos
made with a unique and special kind of ink, that can only be found in the waters near the city. The ink comes
from a small squid-like creature, that can be really difficult to farm and catch. it doesn’t help that the creature is covered in sharp and venomous spikes, that will poke out from underneath its skin, should it feel threatened. Capturing and killing the creature is something you can be punished greatly for in Bewea. Only licenced people, with the approval seal from the clan that runs the city, can get, sell and use the ink.
The tattoos are said to mainly be used by sailors, to protect them from the dangers at sea. Some say that the power within the tattoo can shield one from Sirens, sea monsters and from being a castaway. Some Gaidinians who have a tattoo like the ones from the legend, swear that at the times when they had been in danger, with no way out — the tattoo would begin to glow softly until the dangers have passed. This, however, has never been proven. It would be a bad idea to test the “good fortune” and chase death.
What to find in Bewea
Soon Summer will come to an end
and our lives with slowly descend.
Into a time of harvest, stocking up and planning,
because the current time of Autumn is coming for us, enchanting.
What a year it has been, full of loving, care and a bit of rain here and there.
For all that we care for here in Bewea, is a full circle with fresh air.
That will guide us with a seasonal compass each and every year.
Now that we’re at the end and the beginning — we’ll end this with a cheer.
