April (and the A to Z Challenge) ends and into May

This night signals the change from Spring to Summer, Beltaine in the old Celtic calendar.  In the Roman calendar May (Maius in Latin) and was named after the Greek goddess Maia, perhaps, who is associated with Spring.  So, what theme would you like to see for May?  Spring and nature?  The fae and faerie?  Something else?  Let me know and I will do my best to work it in!

As should surprise no one at all, April’s writings were primarily for the A to Z Blogging Challenge, which I am pleased to say I completed, again and for Petrichor 365.  So, the posts for April 2023, are:

Zaphyr the Zoologist (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

Many things that are novel or even unique to the island have been discovered on Petrichor among them are animals and creatures, unseen elsewhere in the Sea of Stars.  This fact has caused some people to come to Petrichor just to learn about, or acquire, such animals.

Zaphyr Ebonwind is one such person, one of the Dragonflowers (Dragon-Earthkine Hybrids), they have come to catalog and collect as many of the new animals as they possibly can.  Zaphar seems to have considerable resources and, when they are in Port Imperial, they are willing to buy animal parts but their gold is reserved for live animals.

Yarnell, Yeoman of the Imperial Household (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

Atop the hill overlooking Port Imperial is Fort Azjure, inside of which is the Satrapial mansion of Stormhaven.  Fully staffed and ready for the Satrap, if they ever arrive.

Yarnell Twinsight is the Yeoman assigned to the Satrap, who, however, has yet to arrive.  Yarnell keeps the wheels of the Imperial Bureaucracy, as it applies to the Satrap‘s household and authority, turning as best they can.  Paperwork regarding the household, they have the authority to negotiate and approve, supplies are laid in, servants are paid, the wheels of the system turn.  (It is the same place that Gardener Grenville finds himself in and they occasionally commiserate together.)

Xalist the Xenoarchaeologist (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

Many of the ruins on Petrichor seem to come from cultures that predate the Sundering and were either lost in that catastrophic event or during the Gods War that preceded it.   So much knowledge of these cultures have been lost that understanding them, and what they have left behind, has been a challenge.

Such a challenge is what excited Xalist Polishsilver about coming to Petrichor.  A well-educated Visse, they see this as a chance to help to fill in some of the gaps in knowledge about pre-Sundering culture.  Xalist is always looking for expeditions to join that may be going to ruins, trading their skills and knowledge for a chance to learn about the past.

Welston the Wheelwright (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

Slowly, more and more carts and wagons are arriving in Petrichor as more and more settlers arrive.  Some are abandoned, others are sold, but more and more are being used on the streets of Port Imperial.  More wagons though, lead to more broken wheels, thus the need for a wheelwright.

Welston Wright owns a small shop along the main road, it is quite new and very basic: a covered area with a small forge and anvil, many bits of wood. and a small enclosed area for Welson to live in.

Viscerion the Vintner (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

A strongly-made building of mixed brick and stone is set, almost defiantly, not too far off the main docks.  Above the main door, made of painted iron-bound oak, is a set of oversized grapes and leaves pained purple and green.  Around the back of the building, there is another iron-bound door, unpainted, and a double set of reinforced boors leading down to the cellar.

The shop is built like a fortress because it is the shop, and home, of Valteris Viscerion the Vintner, which is the largest, and oldest, seller of wines in Port Imperial.

Ustin the Upholsterer (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

Some people want something just a little bit fancier, Ustin Tapnail provides that in his small shop.  He repairs and improves furniture and occasionally even builds it from scratch.

He has a small building built against the side of a warehouse where he does his work.  Ustin gathers wrecked and discarded furniture and repairs and refits it to suit the needs of his customers.  He is skilled at adapting scapes into something new.

Ustin is a young Visse who enjoys working with his hands, his brown hair is worn short and he is clean-shaven.  He has brown-grey eyes and his hands are covered in small nicks and scars from his work.  Ustin genuinely enjoys making and constructing things just for the sake of doing it, and that he can get paid for such makes him quite happy.  He is a cheerful fellow, always planning his next few tasks while he is in the process of finishing the one he is working on.

He lives in a loft above his workshop and is quite happy with that.

Notes: U is tough for jobs.

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Image Image from the Sussex Photo History collection and should be in the Public Domain.

Tuesday Magic Item – Box of Surprises

Gollaon watched as the jester set down the box, catching the eye of Voddick, Gollaon gestured for him to be ready for trouble.

Voddick nodded and stepped slightly closer to their charge just as the box exploded in a riot of colored lights and smoke.

Box of Surprises

It is suspected that boxes of surprises were originally created by some sort of trickster god or perhaps a mischievous fae noble but they have been reproduced by mortal hands for equally troublesome uses.  The boxes range from as small as a shoebox to as large as a small chest and are always decorated in unusual patterns.

Terrya’s Tea Shop (Petrichor 365, A to Z)

As Port Imperial has grown, so has the Imperial Bureaucracy, and as it has grown, it has settled and, in some cases, they have even brought their family over to join them.  This has made the area at the base of Fort Ajzure, a small, off-kilter reflection of the homeland of the Visse.

While the Quill and Sword is popular with the bureaucrats, it is not really suitable for wives and children, or such in the opinion of the bureaucrats in any case.  So, Rose Terrya opened a tea room to cater to families and friends of the bureaucrats, and occasionally others.  Terrya served in the Imperial Bureaucracy for forty years and is happy to retire to the much less stressful task of managing a tea room with the help of some of her grandchildren.

Istilon the Preparer (Petrichor 365)

A small well-built stone hut nearby to the mortuary is the home and workplace of Istilon known as the Preparer.  The stone hut is whitewashed and has a neatly thatched roof.

Istilon is a tall, thin member of the Earthkine, their white hair is tied back and falls to their waist, and their grey eyes always seem full of sorrow.   They wear simple black clothes usually with a white sash around their waist and soft black shoes.  Istilon lacks a sense of anger which makes them very even-tempered.  A student of philosophy and, in secret, ancient religions, they have a great knowledge of ways to console those who have lost friends and loved ones.