Magic
Vuori Lajha
The Mountain Queen’s Blessing
This page details the mountains-gifted mutation, which may be applied to a character with a mountains-gifted slot from the Bits Store.
The Vuori Lahja is an ancient practice in the mountains of High Heart, older than even the Marsh King’s blessing, and a sacred trial of the spirit by the Mountain Queen herself.
As the goddess does not have a dedicated priesthood, it is up to every individual to decide if they are ready to attempt the journey into her realm. Failure means death and it is not a thing to embark upon without thought; as such, only a small handful of people in every generation even try it.
Technically anyone may follow the steps of the Vuori Lahja, but only those who are part of a Perhe (born or adopted, human or dragon) and accompanied by a griffon have any chance of success.
As the goddess does not have a dedicated priesthood, it is up to every individual to decide if they are ready to attempt the journey into her realm. Failure means death and it is not a thing to embark upon without thought; as such, only a small handful of people in every generation even try it.
Technically anyone may follow the steps of the Vuori Lahja, but only those who are part of a Perhe (born or adopted, human or dragon) and accompanied by a griffon have any chance of success.
The Journey
There’s no formal priesthood of the Mountain Queen to conduct a ceremony like this. Vuori Lahja is a personal journey to purify one’s soul, done alone, and a difficult one at that. It begins with a solitary journey into the mountains with a griffon. One must neither eat nor speak the entirety of the trip once they have resolved to attempt it, and if they break this they must wait until the next dawn to start again.
The destination is Laulaalunta, the largest glacier in High Heart; a dangerous and sacred place located between the cities of Falcon's Landing and Vuorenydin. It was named for the strange, singing sounds of the ice that forms it. Outside of the Vouri Lahja, an ancient trial in High Heart, entering one of the many moulins and exploring its depths is both frowned upon and always fatal.
There are a dozen ways to enter the glacier, and this is the last chance to reconsider and turn back. Either you return, successful in gaining the Mountain Queen’s gift… or you vanish forever into the ice. The glacier rings with the clear song of ice and something deeper, challenging those who draw near.
Once you have made your choice, you and your griffon descend into the glacier.
The destination is Laulaalunta, the largest glacier in High Heart; a dangerous and sacred place located between the cities of Falcon's Landing and Vuorenydin. It was named for the strange, singing sounds of the ice that forms it. Outside of the Vouri Lahja, an ancient trial in High Heart, entering one of the many moulins and exploring its depths is both frowned upon and always fatal.
There are a dozen ways to enter the glacier, and this is the last chance to reconsider and turn back. Either you return, successful in gaining the Mountain Queen’s gift… or you vanish forever into the ice. The glacier rings with the clear song of ice and something deeper, challenging those who draw near.
Once you have made your choice, you and your griffon descend into the glacier.
The Descent
Upon entering Laulaalunta, the Vuori Lahja begins in earnest. The entry by which you came vanishes behind you, and the Mountain Queen begins her tests. The glacier plays tricks on the mind; lights and songs and sounds are heard, and the spirits of the dead are close enough to make themselves manifest upon the air.
In the depths of Laulaalunta, many claim to have stumbled across caverns of ice filled with forests, or open sky, or dark abysses, or the northern lights, which surely are too far away to be seen in High Heart at all, let alone underground. It feels like a year passes; in reality, it is only a week. One must still eat and drink in the strangeness of the deep glacial realm, finding sustenance in the strange environments one stumbles across in the ice. Lingering too long in a single area of the glacier causes the icy chamber to start to collapse, encouraging those within to move on after a few hours rather than sticking to a singular place for the whole time they undergo Vuori Lahja. Should one survive this week, a strong, warm wind will begin to blow around them. If they follow it, they will be led back out into the open sky. As they pass out of the dark, cold glacier and into the burning light, they feel heat pass over them and air fill their lungs. The Mountain Queen’s Gift is bestowed, a sudden sensation of burning through your body, and affects both the person and their griffon. |
The Return & Changes
Both the human/dragon and their griffon are affected by the Gift. They experience an extended lifespan - the human/dragon ages at about half the usual rate of their species, and their griffon will linger as long as their partner in Vuori Lahja lives.
Humans & dragons gain moving, glowing tattoos on their skin. These are often related to the sky; birds, flames, winds, weather, the stars, the auroras, and clouds, among other patterns. Their Perhe tattoos and (if they’ve completed the Plunge) wing tattoos will begin to glow as well, and the colour usually matches what’s typical of their Perhe. Although some see no other physical mutations, many gain avian features; feathers, scaled/clawed hands and feet, lighter bones, and very rarely functional wings. Those who are physically altered in this way may gain habits from the avian creature they resemble now.
Griffons gain matching ‘tattoos’ on their feathers as their partner and increased size, intelligence, & lifespan while their companion in Vuori Lahja lives. May gain unnatural sky/fire/wind/cloud mutations and avian features from bird species different than their own.
Just as those who have undergone the Marsh King’s Blessing are known as the Marsh Blessed, those who have successfully undergone Vuori Lahja are referred to as ‘Mountains-Gifted’.
Both Mountains-Gifted humans, dragons and griffons give off an aura of confidence, similarly to how Marsh Blessed individuals have a subtle calming effect on those around them. Those who stand near them feel more self-assured and less anxious. Partners in Vuori Lahja (human/dragon and their griffon) gain a faint, instinctive ‘bond’. It is nothing like that of a human and Familiar, where they may speak and exchange thoughts and feelings mentally, but have an instinctual understanding of one another and may get faint ‘vibes’ from their partner.
After completing Vuori Lahja, obviously the new Mountains-Gifted pair may do as they wish, but it is of course kindest to return home so that your family knows you survived and gained the Mountain Queen’s favour. They are treated with extra respect by their Perhe as someone who was touched by the hands of the goddess herself, and often have an easier time interpreting her messages in the wind and weather compared to non-Gifted individuals.
One cannot receive both the Marsh King’s Blessing and the Mountain Queen’s Gift. The priests in the lowland marshes will not allow a Mountains-Gifted individual to attempt the Blessing, since it’s known to be fatal, but unfortunately, there’s nothing to stop Marsh Blessed individuals from trying Vuori Lahja aside from the common knowledge that it would kill them.
Humans & dragons gain moving, glowing tattoos on their skin. These are often related to the sky; birds, flames, winds, weather, the stars, the auroras, and clouds, among other patterns. Their Perhe tattoos and (if they’ve completed the Plunge) wing tattoos will begin to glow as well, and the colour usually matches what’s typical of their Perhe. Although some see no other physical mutations, many gain avian features; feathers, scaled/clawed hands and feet, lighter bones, and very rarely functional wings. Those who are physically altered in this way may gain habits from the avian creature they resemble now.
Griffons gain matching ‘tattoos’ on their feathers as their partner and increased size, intelligence, & lifespan while their companion in Vuori Lahja lives. May gain unnatural sky/fire/wind/cloud mutations and avian features from bird species different than their own.
Just as those who have undergone the Marsh King’s Blessing are known as the Marsh Blessed, those who have successfully undergone Vuori Lahja are referred to as ‘Mountains-Gifted’.
Both Mountains-Gifted humans, dragons and griffons give off an aura of confidence, similarly to how Marsh Blessed individuals have a subtle calming effect on those around them. Those who stand near them feel more self-assured and less anxious. Partners in Vuori Lahja (human/dragon and their griffon) gain a faint, instinctive ‘bond’. It is nothing like that of a human and Familiar, where they may speak and exchange thoughts and feelings mentally, but have an instinctual understanding of one another and may get faint ‘vibes’ from their partner.
After completing Vuori Lahja, obviously the new Mountains-Gifted pair may do as they wish, but it is of course kindest to return home so that your family knows you survived and gained the Mountain Queen’s favour. They are treated with extra respect by their Perhe as someone who was touched by the hands of the goddess herself, and often have an easier time interpreting her messages in the wind and weather compared to non-Gifted individuals.
One cannot receive both the Marsh King’s Blessing and the Mountain Queen’s Gift. The priests in the lowland marshes will not allow a Mountains-Gifted individual to attempt the Blessing, since it’s known to be fatal, but unfortunately, there’s nothing to stop Marsh Blessed individuals from trying Vuori Lahja aside from the common knowledge that it would kill them.