masterlist entry | spreadsheet | player profile
Current GP: 56

limited creator availability (re-tfs only) | art & writing welcome,

Aquila’s Playlist
Akşam Olur Karanlığa Kalırsın - Nida Ateş
Çökertme - Sait Ağdaş
Nànnuflày - Tinariwen
Sun of Iraq - Farida

reverent | complex | artful

As a former student of Majanthi, Aquila’s day to day focus is tending to the spiritual wellbeing of her boundary. Much of her time is spent carrying out rituals she has learned from her mentor, performed with arduous excision and painstaking care to honor the many layers of her home. She takes time to listen closely to the vibrations of her marketplace, both from the life forms dwelling there now as well as the resonance of lives past. The ghosts of the humans and animals who lived there long ago and their wishes, beliefs, fears, and prayers still echo throughout the crumbling walls and toppled corridors, and she feels it is her duty to maintain their memories. She works hard to ensure that those who visit treat the area with utmost sanctity and care, as she does.

Aquila was transformed from a kilim crafted by a skillful master. Her beautiful colors, intricacy, and tight weaving easily surpassed any of her kind and were the admiration of all who set eyes upon her. What they did not know, however, was that she had been woven with curses and ill-wills, each thread and symbol laden with deep malice. She passed through many hands and many landscapes over the years, each owner meeting some manner of poor fate, until she fell into the hands of a merchant who put her up in the market. By then, all knew of the history her threads carried, and though her beauty caught the eye of each passer by, none were foolish enough to fall into her web. There she watched as the suns rose and set, her color fading a little more with each one, until eventually she slipped unnoticed into the dust where she remained hidden for centuries until Majanthi brought her forth for a second chance.

As a result of this history, a dark thread sometimes creeps up between Aquila’s good intents. Like her kilim, she is intoxicatingly charismatic and captivating, but saturated with complexity. An artful weaver, she holds a sharpened shuttle that works the weft and warp with masterful efficiently, molding each situation to her benefit. She is extremely persuasive, sharp minded, and cunning, to ends that no-one knows but her as this is hidden successfully under the shadow of her striking magnetism and devotion to her purpose.

Despite this, esk who visit her are guaranteed a warm welcome and the gift of her insight should they want it, no matter who they are, where they hail from, or what they seek. She is a a good listener, and if desired will help them to develop rituals or practices of their own that they may take home to deepen their relationship to their boundaries, themselves, or anything they feel needs attention.

Ancient Marketplace, Kilims, and Terebinth

The ruins of Aquila’s marketplace lie in the desert somewhere between the Tigris and Euphrates, remote and removed from major cities. The area is frequented by tourists, archaeologists, students, and those on pilgrimage. It is rich in archaeological treasures from numerous cultures and time periods including Sumerian, Assyrian, Hellenistic, and Islamic.

Terebinth is a flowering tree native to the mediterranean region. It has been referenced in a number of ancient sources for different uses, some symbolic and some utilitarian. It is most well known as the earliest source of turpentine and has a distinct, strong, astringent scent.

Kilim are hand-woven rugs that have been found throughout middle-eastern and central-Asian cultures since ancient times. The oldest evidence of their existence dates back to the Sumerians, though the most famous examples come out of Turkey. They serve a multitude of purposes - they can be purely decorative, used as prayer rugs, flaunted as status symbols, or utilized as blankets for saddles. The symbols woven into their patterns are imbued with meaning, each one representing something particular; eyes to ward off evil, female figures for fertility, and wolves’ mouths to protect flocks from harm, amongst a vast array of others.
click images below to scroll

“Night poured over the desert. It came suddenly, in purple. In the clear air, the stars drilled down out of the sky, reminding any thoughtful watcher that it is in the deserts and high places that religions are generated.” 

― Terry Pratchett, Jingo

Impressions & Character Details

• Aquila’s vibrations are like subtle whispers, similar to sand or wind gently shifting, and are easily missed if not paying close attention. Her voice is heady and she is well-spoken.

• She is roughly 3-4 feet tall at the shoulder, perhaps the size of a large dog, with a wingspan around 12 feet from tip-to-tip when stretched out. She is well groomed so her fur is soft and vibrant, and shines a bit in light.

• Her terebinth wings are fully mobile; the flowers and leaves on them blow off in the breeze and quickly regrow, and the air around her carries their unmistakable, astringent scent. She does not use these to fly.

• The brass key hanging on her left wing is a reference to 4361 | Aza, who is a dear friend of hers. The 3 glass birds on the same wing were earned during her journey through the developed biome event, home to the wanderer X who has a molten glass elemental.

• Around her neck she wears a necklace of silver coins that she keeps polished. These are reminiscent of those found in the crumbling wells near her boundary, placed there by visitors as wishes. The faces of the coins are worn down and indistinct with age, and even when polished do not come to a high gloss but stay rather dull, although bright.

• The terracotta lamp accessory and auric incense enchantment are only present when she is meditating, performing a ritual, or otherwise engaged in something that requires deep thought or reverence. This lamp, which is handmade and slightly crude, was a rescued object from her journey through the Natura Humana quest, which you can see in the Stories tab further below.

• Her wheatear keeps an eye on her area and those within it, collects information, news, or gossip, and brings it to her. Be wary of this little one, it has a sharp eye and loud mouth.

• The Anamnesis blessing allows the developed biome to share memories with Aquila while she is in it. Sometimes these are memories of her past form as a kilim, which she has forgotten, while at other times they are general memories that give her insight into whatever developed location she is in.

• Aquila leaves her boundary for long, meditative walks through the desert, to visit close friends or check in on those she has helped, or to perform secondary transformations upon request. She only very rarely visits the conservatory, and always alone.

Relationships & Stories

Natura Humana
01 . 02 . 03 . 04

Aquila is most likely to perform secondary transformations - and for these, esk must seek her out. She will perform primary transformations if the situation is dire.
2161 | Derigo - (more details later)
???? - camel mandible

Gallery

Click images to view fully. Some of this artwork is not mine but has been gifted or commissioned. Credits and links to these wonderful artists’ profiles are listed - on desktop, hover over the image; on mobile, you will have to hit the white circle in the bottom right corner (I am working on trying to find a different solution to the latter.)