#Role of Salicornia Salt

[outofangband]

Falathrim World Building Introduction (First Age Prior to the Isle of Balar)

(Noldor, Teleri, Vanyar, Sindar of Doriath)

I did some introductions to world building for the three main cultures of the Eldar in Valinor and the Sindar of Doriath and I want to write more for those but I also wanted to do the other kindreds so here’s part one for my Falathrim World Building

Here are some more general world building headcanons (architecture/homes, governance, etc) Please feel free to ask more!! I’d love to expand on food, environment, flora and fauna, etc

Please feel free to ask more!! General posts are hard because I didn’t have specific categories to cover so feel free to send categories! I also included some similarities and differences with the Teleri in Valinor

The Falathrim lived on the coasts of Western Beleriand where they were persuaded to stay by Ossë. They lived at the Havens of the Falas at the mouths of two rivers, Nenning and Brithon. There were two Havens, Brithombar and Eglarest, walled cities that lasted until the Fifth Battle where the surviving Falathrim moved West to the Isle of Balar

Círdan is considered an authority and leader despite never being officially appointed. The Falathrim of Beleriand do start out with a less formal system of rule than their kin in Valinor. As time goes on a more formal system of governance does emerge with appointed roles. Much is decided communally

The houses and structures were made of sandstone, clay and wood with imported stone from their allies utilized in the reconstruction after damage during the First battle of Beleriand. Tufa and limestone were also used in the walls, towers, and fortification 

Sand ryegrass is also used in more temporary homes as well as baskets and nets.

In the Eastern reaches of their land, sheep were kept for wool and thus fabric (as well as milk). They were originally traded for with the Sindar of Mithrim. Flax, nettle and other salt marsh plants are also used in clothing. Shells are used in jewelry and metal production is relatively rare outside weapons.

Clothing is generally made with practical uses being considered first but there is absolutely a distinct fashion among the Falathrim. 

Shell and bone are also used for blades. Pearl blades are a particular treasure.

Pearls are highly favored by the Teleri and though prized by the Falathrim, they do not have the same place in their culture. See the differences at the bottom

Several of the archways at Brithonbar contains fossilized ammonites.

Map making, cartography including astrocartograpgy, and navigation are highly valued skills and trades. Ink is made from the berries of a few plants and from pigment made from rock with traces of iron. Quills are typically made from sea bird feathers

Like the Teleri, Falathrim children grow up with a respect and love for the water. Swimming, safety, and knowledge of plants and animals of the water and shores is taught from a very young age. Knot tying and rope and sail making using fibers and cloth is also widely taught. Boats are typically wooden with cloth sails.

Trade began with Nargothrond and their allies soon after the hidden city was constructed though Finrod and his smaller group of followers canonically aided them long before. Routes for travel were known to the Falathrim long before the return of the Noldor.

Fish make up a lot of their dishes along with sea and salt marsh vegetables like Salicornia and sea purslane. Methods of seasoning are similar to Telerin and Iathrim methods and tend to rely on herbal sauces and garnishes rather than spices. Shrimp and crab are eaten far more commonly than the Teleri.

Olives grow to the North and South of the Havens and are cultivated in groves along with lemons closer to Nevrast and orchard stone fruit South of Egalrest. White peaches are rarer and often traded from East of the Havens but are a favored treat.

Some primary differences with the Teleri of Valinor

Teleri: sheer fabrics primarily from traded silk and very light cotton flower, large communal homes, pearlescence, music and instrument making, elaborate gardens and water scapes

Falathrim: primarily linen from flax, common use of sand ryegrass, silver and pale metallic colors, smaller often temporary homes, cartography, epic poetry, more practical gardens, fossils

Similarities: limestone and sandstone architecture, similar community governance ideas (though Alqualondë has a king of course), herbal sauces and garnishes

[aut2imagineart]

Took a while but I finally finished this piece showcasing Martian humans and the lifeforms that inhabit a terraformed Mars within the story of Centauri.  There’s a lot of things here so I’ll be brief and to the point. The first permanent colonists of Mars would have undergone genetic editing to receive traits that ensure survival.  These include tolerating lower oxygen and air pressure (a mutation Tibetan populations possess today), higher radiation resistance, and higher muscle and bone density to counteract Mar’s lower gravity.  By roughly 3045, Martians humans became physically and genetically distinct. The best analogy would be orange neanderthals with chins, larger eyes (due to Mars receiving less sunlight), and stretched up to 2m in height on average. Next is photosynthetic lifeforms.  Algae and photosynthetic bacteria make up the bulk of this category being the first organisms intentionally introduced.  They were later joined by hearty lichens and eventually more complex plants such as dandelions and Salicornia (aka sea asparagus).  The plants differ from their Earth counterparts by being darker green and significantly taller with the dandelions evolving a willowy structure due to the frequent Martian winds. Fruit flies were initially brought as the first lab animals for scientific studies such as the effect of Mars’ conditions on their development and evolution.  Eventually they were released to help establish an ecosystem, evolving to feed on the surplus of algae and bacteria that border the newly formed rivers, lakes, and oceans.  Non-hiving bees were brought to Mars to pollinate the food crops the Martian Colonists depend on, being released when flowering plants started gaining a foothold in the environment.  Both insect species grew larger due to less gravity and evolved proportionally larger wings due to lower air pressure making flight more difficult. Unlike other species inhabiting Mars, the sand worms are a product of genetic engineering with their base being earthworms and Zophobas Morio (aka super worms).  Designed to swim through sand and burrow through hard ground, the sand worms were giving bacteria in their gut to break down the toxic perchlorate salts within the martian soil they ingest.  The byproducts are oxygen, which the worms use for respiration, and chlorine, which the worms excrete as solids that can be utilized by Martian colonists, mainly to create greenhouse gases to maintain Mars' atmosphere.  This process also makes the soil more palatable for plant life.  The combination of lower gravity constraints and the extra oxygen gained from their feeding process allows the sand worms to grow to exceptionally large sizes; up to 6.71m (22ft) long with a 12.2cm (4.8in) diameter. Just like the fruit flies, rats and mice were initially brought as lab animals before being release to establish an ecosystem.  Though only 300 years had past since their release, speciation has already occurred and the two shown are only the most prominent.  Both rodents adopted hopping as their means of locomotion as a result of the lower gravity but evolved significantly different ecological roles.  The rats became predators with the currently largest species reaching up to a meter (3.3ft) long.  The mice maintained the role of herbivores with the most unique species to date being the hunched-backed mouse.  This species has extra layers of fat on it's back that serve several purposes; storing extra nutrients, insulation from Mar's cooler environment, and extra weight to counteract the lower gravity. Quails were one of the last species to be brought to Mars and done so as a protein source that grew fast and was low maintenance.  Though some were intentionally released, a domesticated population that is heavier and more meaty than their ancestors still exist within the Martian colonies.  The released quails so far evolved into two main species; an small, insectivorous flyer with proportionally large wings and a larger herbivore with a thicker beak for grinding plant material. Tilapia were actually the first animals brought to Mars by humans, though limited to aquaculture within the settlements.  These were a variation of the blue tilapia which could tolerate colder and brackish water.   Once significant bodies of freshwater formed and the atmosphere became more hospitable, they were released into the Environment.  With no competition or predators, the tilapia population were able to diversify within a relatively short time, even evolving into predators and oceanic species.

As always comments and critiques are welcome.

Also, if you like my art, please consider supporting me on Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/aut2imagineart