#Namtud | Rebirth

[mareenavee]

Lean Into the Storm and Hope To Weather It

Happy birthday, @changelingsandothernonsense!! We're BELATED but it's so worth it. Thank you for letting me write fanfic of your fanfic 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂

This one is directly inspired by Arkanis: Teldryn and the upcoming Arkanis: Erra and ... a secret third Arkanis entry. :>

So. Morrow-fic. Sorta. Pre-Morrowind Morrowfic.

It's a little off the rails, featuring Nibani Maesa, and her Aro/Ace QPR relationship (and eventual betrothal and bonding) with Sul-Matuul, her visions, and how Peakstar came to be recognized as one of the incarnates (though, unfortunately, failed.) Also features some easter eggs for Ceth's fic universe <3

Without further ado:

Lean Into the Storm and Hope To Weather It

When earth is sundered, and skies choked black, and sleepers serve the seven curses…

Nibani Maesa shook her head, trying and failing to clear the voice of her grandmother from her ears. It had been long enough since her passing that her family’s grieving was done—yet the pitch and timbre of the raspy, ashen, elderly voice never had faded from her. It was another Sign, one she had withheld from her mother now for months. The less that was spoken on that front, the more likely her sister, Diyanna, would be considered for the sacred position of Wise Woman. This was, of course, folly to wish for. But she would let the wisest of the Urshilaku talk, and pretend they might decide otherwise. Keeping their gaze from her face brought her a semblance of peace—though Nibani knew deep down all would be uncovered eventually. She would need to step into her power sooner rather than later.

She had, after all, foreseen her mother’s death. That, too, was another Sign. It was the heaviest of them, and she had trusted it to only one other—Sul-Matuul. He was her best friend—and perhaps the only true friend she had. When one was marked by the stars as she was, there were few who would look past the perception of power bestowed by her eventual title. But Sul had known the shape of her soul since they were children. Azura knew he’d likely known her across every lifetime. She felt their connection to be a foundational truth of the universe, and had told him as much. Despite her current worries, she smiled at the memory of his response. He’d woven his fingers through hers and sighed in exasperation, only to laugh his agreement at the sentiment. He’d insisted he’d never been one for poetry, or he’d have said it himself.

Nibani was positive that in every lifetime, she’d have to be the one to proclaim such truths—and would do so again, and again.

She set down the basket she had been carrying and smoothed the stray strands of her thick, auburn braids, pulling them back over her shoulders. Sul was there across the plains, sparring with Zabamund—though she wished he wouldn’t. There was a reason Grandmother’s voice would not empty from her mind this day. It was imperative to talk about it. He would try to understand, and would remind her of her strength all the while. For now, he was preoccupied. He had a role to fill, too—he would be named Ashkhan, though the Gods only knew when. It didn’t stop his father from insisting he act as if the title was already his.

To the hearth there comes a stranger, journeyed far 'neath moon and star…

Nibani sighed and looked toward where the sun would be setting, if they were lucky enough to see such things. That there was not an ash storm and she could breathe the air was blessing enough. Sometimes—though rarely—the winds blew favorably. It was a shame for such a day to be tinged by the beginnings of what would surely become a full vision. She needed her friend for this. -> Read the rest on AO3.

[sumerianlanguage]

hi! i've been interested in sumerian for years, and am still learning the basics of it as best as i can, and as specific as it is, is there any way to say or write "eternal rebirth through violence"? or something akin to it? thank you!

Hello! I've previously answered about "eternal", which is dari, written 𒁕𒌷 in cuneiform, and about "rebirth", for which I'd use namtud 𒉆𒌅, from tud "to be (re)born". "Eternal rebirth" would therefore be namtuddari 𒉆𒌅𒁕𒌷.

"Violence" in Sumerian is azig 𒀉𒍣. To say "through violence", I'd put it in the ablative case, literally "from violence" or "by means of violence", becoming azigta 𒀉𒍣𒋫. Thus, the whole phrase would be namtuddari azigta, written 𒉆𒌅𒁕𒌷 𒀉𒍣𒋫 in cuneiform.

[sumerianlanguage]

Silim! What would "metamorphosis" be?

Hello! There isn’t an exact translation I can find, but here's my best attempt.

“To be transformed” is tud 𒌅, which basically means “to give birth, be born, be reborn”. We can make a noun namtud 𒉆𒌅 “transformation”, but I’d probably translate it as “birth, rebirth”. For clarity, we can draw from the biological source of the English term, as a caterpillar changes into a butterfly (girish 𒄵), to make the phrase namtud girishgin 𒉆𒌅 𒄵𒁶, “rebirth like a butterfly”, the closest I can get to “metamorphosis”.

[sumerianlanguage]

How would you write/represent the word or idea rebirth?

Hello! I don’t know of an exact word for “rebirth” in Sumerian, but here are a couple close matches.

The verb tud 𒌅 can mean “to be reborn” in addition to its more common meanings, “to be born, give birth, make, create, be transformed”. We can construct an abstract noun namtud 𒉆𒌅, which would mean “birth, (act of) creation, rebirth”, but as far as I know this noun isn’t attested.

Halloran also cites an adjective, mumu 𒊬𒊬, meaning “always being reborn”, like the moon which is always going through the cycle of phases. It’s derived from mu(d), meaning “to grow, ignite”. I can’t find another source for mumu in this meaning (as opposed to the present tense verb mumu “it grows, it ignites”), though, so take with a grain of salt.

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Legit this was fantastic! I've done so much research on getting Ashlanders right and you've hit it out of the ballpark with it! I'm like, frothing at baby Etana too, he's special :3

Lean Into the Storm and Hope To Weather It

Happy birthday, @changelingsandothernonsense!! We're BELATED but it's so worth it. Thank you for letting me write fanfic of your fanfic 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂

This one is directly inspired by Arkanis: Teldryn and the upcoming Arkanis: Erra and ... a secret third Arkanis entry. :>

So. Morrow-fic. Sorta. Pre-Morrowind Morrowfic.

It's a little off the rails, featuring Nibani Maesa, and her Aro/Ace QPR relationship (and eventual betrothal and bonding) with Sul-Matuul, her visions, and how Peakstar came to be recognized as one of the incarnates (though, unfortunately, failed.) Also features some easter eggs for Ceth's fic universe <3

Without further ado:

Lean Into the Storm and Hope To Weather It

When earth is sundered, and skies choked black, and sleepers serve the seven curses…

Nibani Maesa shook her head, trying and failing to clear the voice of her grandmother from her ears. It had been long enough since her passing that her family’s grieving was done—yet the pitch and timbre of the raspy, ashen, elderly voice never had faded from her. It was another Sign, one she had withheld from her mother now for months. The less that was spoken on that front, the more likely her sister, Diyanna, would be considered for the sacred position of Wise Woman. This was, of course, folly to wish for. But she would let the wisest of the Urshilaku talk, and pretend they might decide otherwise. Keeping their gaze from her face brought her a semblance of peace—though Nibani knew deep down all would be uncovered eventually. She would need to step into her power sooner rather than later.

She had, after all, foreseen her mother’s death. That, too, was another Sign. It was the heaviest of them, and she had trusted it to only one other—Sul-Matuul. He was her best friend—and perhaps the only true friend she had. When one was marked by the stars as she was, there were few who would look past the perception of power bestowed by her eventual title. But Sul had known the shape of her soul since they were children. Azura knew he’d likely known her across every lifetime. She felt their connection to be a foundational truth of the universe, and had told him as much. Despite her current worries, she smiled at the memory of his response. He’d woven his fingers through hers and sighed in exasperation, only to laugh his agreement at the sentiment. He’d insisted he’d never been one for poetry, or he’d have said it himself.

Nibani was positive that in every lifetime, she’d have to be the one to proclaim such truths—and would do so again, and again.

She set down the basket she had been carrying and smoothed the stray strands of her thick, auburn braids, pulling them back over her shoulders. Sul was there across the plains, sparring with Zabamund—though she wished he wouldn’t. There was a reason Grandmother’s voice would not empty from her mind this day. It was imperative to talk about it. He would try to understand, and would remind her of her strength all the while. For now, he was preoccupied. He had a role to fill, too—he would be named Ashkhan, though the Gods only knew when. It didn’t stop his father from insisting he act as if the title was already his.

To the hearth there comes a stranger, journeyed far 'neath moon and star…

Nibani sighed and looked toward where the sun would be setting, if they were lucky enough to see such things. That there was not an ash storm and she could breathe the air was blessing enough. Sometimes—though rarely—the winds blew favorably. It was a shame for such a day to be tinged by the beginnings of what would surely become a full vision. She needed her friend for this. -> Read the rest on AO3.