explore | Grilled Cheese

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 11:19 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol helps her shieldmates and friends celebrate warfare's end and their impending return to Son...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding

Yestereve, I threw a mirthtide for my underreeves, many whomof I had reckoned as friends and lovers even ere our warfare to Valmayana. I chose the same meadyard Erymi and Remaue had held on our comeback from El, unleastly for its fond yestermind. So I sent word to Lady Istae, Lady Vosaeth, Krastaes, Tae and Less, Oshis, Draue, Nae, and Hanos, who all forespoke to cleave our merry nighttide. Semuane also came, though I think moreso for my sake.

For duskmeal, I had found an elven cook, a craft found only here in Qabarat, with thought to give my friends a dear taste. He readied dishes of salted greens and sourworts in oilwine, honey-roasted thurse-rump oversodden with thick tea-broth, grasscake and cheese, and for the last showdish: a glazed pie baked with with spicy wormworst, sweetworts and nuts, overslathered in creamsap, and then whereover we drizzled meadbrandy. We cheered these dishes and yielded the cook many bubblemead glasses. He took them thankfully, since I had stocked many jugs. I also hired a drummer and singer, who also played harp and upkept our mirth.

The evetide started with good news, and which I already knew, for Tae and Less had made good worth of the shipfare back from Qoaronaea - she is bechild. I bestowed them honeygold threadwork silk as gift, rather like Erymi had gotten years ago. I kissed them both and spoke that, if they still wish, they may welcomely follow my flag, and furthermore may have both house and love, and also Remaue’s, who I already know awaits them so much as I.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 12:23 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Part 3_, Vaeol's and Semuane's relationship reaches a watershed with their return to Qabarat, as Semuane makes a choice about her future, and Vaeol's impending homefare to Son...

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Something happened amid our love yesternight. Wordlessly we swore something to each other, not quite matehood as I share with Remaue, which our cities would forbid, but more than idle maidenlove. Semuane sought a belonging, her worth as more than a maiden, even though she will stay evermaiden. For the night I cradled her body against mine, soothing her weariness.

We slept late and little recked duty, for with reach to Qabarat our warfare has ended. The warriors are already given freedom to tarry in the city. If I showed ere noonmeal at the Embassy, I would do well. We awoke already in mindshare as if we had never offbroken.

While we bathed, I asked what she will do. She shrugged and said she would samely as ever. She shared, however, that she knew a sith of like-minded wives and maidens here in Qabarat: other outriders and warriors, some tradewives, and even a few matrons, who belove evermaidenhood. This word heartened me even while it forecaught. If they uphold each other, then my heart will ease for Semuane’s sake.

Her life choice makes some worry, forwhy her kin, like almost other lashunta, forelook daughters to bear forth children and keep the bloodline. Furthermore, without wifehood, she would be withheld sundry rights. And yet, as outrider, it might only be canny, forwhy we forgo wifehood, at least while our first thewdom (I have already had my sisters goading me to set a bridetide and try for a child, and not for my sake). Since I had arisen to flagmaiden, could Semuane follow my example? Maybe so. Our songs and tales are full of yorely outriders who forsook men for a princess’s love, and so benamed their worth and deeds. In truth, the other mate in these lovetales is ever a wifemate, fully invested and with children whom the maidenmate takes as her own, and ever a matron if not higher, under whose ladyship the outrider-maiden is upheld. Our folk show rough eyes to those who fall beyond wont.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 11:18 AM

...Could an individual take advantage of distrupting that harmony?

Given the vulnerability #lashunta open themselves up to under psychic ~saiahi~ - mindshare - a particularly strongwilled individual could manipulate others to do their bidding. In so doing, who knows the disruption that may result?

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 11:16 AM

Lashunta Inspirational Pic of the Week
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1806)

Discord is an intriguing an unsettling concept among #lashunta. Being so psychically communal, wouldn't that encourage harmony?

cont -->

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@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 10:57 PM

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #starfinder #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #conlang

Lashunta Word of the Week
Moeru (/mo:e.ru./; animal): formians; formians; members of a large, intelligent antlike species that colonized Castrovel near the end of the Age of the Sage-Queens, and which shares historical enmity with the lashunta.
This word is of Old Valmaean origin, though it has been largely adopted into most lashunta languages in Asana. Curiously, although most terms for intelligent species occur in the common gender, this word occurs mainly in the animal gender, almost as if the lashunta intentionally deny them personhood.

Related Terms:
Moeryonu (animal): worker-caste formian
Miurohu (animal): warrior-caste formian
Mirushae (feminine): myrmarch formian
Shanevae (feminine): hivequeen formian

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 10:40 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol describes the sea voyage back northward after warfare's end...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

Our seafare’s highest thrill outcame when a herd of snailgods swam to surface at nighttide, two days ere Nivaea. They floated beside our ship, shells glowing with coral-fey in dithering patterns. Our sailors yielded wide berth, for though these huge water-qoelu stir but slowly, their blow could wallow and swamp our ship or even crush the hull. We stood at the stern while their winking lights faded in our wake.

Nivaea outstood by far the most enthriving city we reached. As the greatest and richest city in the South and founded back while the Time of the Warrior-Queens, it has been rebuilt no less than five times over history, as the bed of great Father-Hisyho has shifted where it meets the Shattersea. Our flag got a walkshow of one of these ghost cities, where the neighborfolk had cleared a path through the rainwood. Thus we got to stand in a queen’s palace main hall, whose throne’s marble dais still stood at the midst, and beheld mosaics of the gods wrought on the underdome, and from the walls, stonelikenesses of the elder queens with their haremmates.

Within the great harbor, we saw folk and heard tongues from Then on Lake Arasene’s shore, and even Candares, who had brought freight over the Sea of Mist from further east. Then I caught Oshis watching along the riverside, overlooking a fleet of odd, brightly hued houseboats tied to the bank. He hailed another man with his hair braided with bright scarves, who stepped off a boat. Shortly they spoke, and then left with friendly waves. Reckfully I turned to Less and asked what betided, and whose boats these were. He answered they belong to the Raumoava, the wandering riverfolk who make their livelihood by trade.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 11:44 AM

Article: The Shadow of Ylisaeua, Part 1
www.worldanvil.com/w/castrovel-...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 10:44 AM

Article: ~Rea Zonyua~ - The Battle of Zonyu
www.worldanvil.com/w/castrovel-...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 10:25 AM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol experiences a crisis of faith before the Qoaronae...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

The Valmaean High Captain spoke before the fane. She bade us remind our tide here and the warfare we had witnessed, the foe’s dread we had undergone, and the friends fallen we had lost. She bade us bear this yestermind back homeward and never forget, and never forgive. Then she bade us pray to the Qoaronae for winfulness.

My throat choked on the hymn, and I could not spit the words. Of all the gods I have kenned, the Qoaronae I love least. Unlike Burning-Mother, from what I saw at war, the Qoaronae do not ward and do not cleanse. They reap souls and blood, and whether they be lashunta or formians, I wonder that it may reck not. Instead of light, they belong to darkness and thrive thereon. Yet that is the least reason. For the coldheartedness and bloodymindedness I witnessed in Valmayana, I forsake the Qoaronae.

In school, I read the ‘Woe for Lost Valmaea’, and even foolishly tried it in the original Old Valmaean. I had loved the poetry, the fights and love-bouts, and overall the sheer wrath, a City meeting its own death. I remind how the hero Lady Beareal’s speech shouted right off the bookleaf into my mind: “Keep your warm gods smiling through heavenly skies. My gods behold a fiercer spirit. I, like them, was born under the South’s low, heavy sky. Heaven smiles not here. My heaven is the battlefield.” Lady Beareal and the Valmaeans may keep their southern gods. I choose Heaven.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 26, 2026, 12:27 AM

Friday Night Lashunta Inspiration
Into every fantasy a little Frazetta must fall.

#lashunta #castrovel #worldbuilding

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 25, 2026, 11:25 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol witnesses the war-goddess religion of Valmayana...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

After another year of such watchfare and other tasks, our firdtide in Valmaeana ended with our comeback to Qoaronaea. We marched up the Street of Heroes in full weaponshow, under the High Staff and Captains’ oversight. We were then led into the Temple of the Qoaronae - the War-Goddesses, at the city’s heart, a building so great that its main hall easily holds five thousand folk, which tallied, including us, the Qabarata, our other allies, and so many Valmaeans as the room let, as Honor Ward. There we stood sharp under the gaze of the Goddess’s mighty stonelikenesses, each fifty armspans tall, carven in startling, awful whitsomeness: hair of snapping snakes, mouths afang, blood-dark wings, harness gleaming darkly, and weapons clutched in clawed hands. The Qoaronae, whom the Valmaeans have besworn as their matron-goddesses, and this city’s namesake. By all tales, this stead is a world-wonder.

I heard a yoretale that the Qoaronae are the triplet-daughters of Burning-Mother and Father-Night. When they reached maidenhood, they went to their father and asked to help in warding their home, their siblings, and all the Sun-Worlds. When Father-Night yaysaid, they beseeched him to show them the Outer Darkness, for they claimed they must understand the dreads they would ward against. Begrudginlgy, Father-Night listened and led them into the darkness between stars. When the three maiden-goddesses came home, they were fearsomely shifted: no longer fair, and looking even as their stone-likenesses shown before me.

When I behold their snaky locks, sharp mouths as carven in their stones, and bloodily clawed fingers, I recall bewritnesses I have read of the elder Moqeva. I wonder how we have undertaken gods who even seem like these erstwhile foes.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 25, 2026, 7:58 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol comes face to face with the embodiment of her people's bane: a Formian Myrmarch...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

Then came a lone shape from the Formian swarm, who climbed a small crag beside the neck. A great Myrmarch, almost big as a Shotalashu and rider together, shell-crest sweeping like a helm, glyphs twisting down her scales, such as my grandmother Eavol had slain two hundred years ago, stood at the crag’s far end.

There she rose to full height, and weaponless. We reeves overtalked this meaning and reckoned she wished a truce-speech. As outrider and also soulseer, the Captain looked to me. I swallowed my boldness, sat Ess, and outrode to meet the Formian.

Semuane and Oshis rode as host to the crag’s foot. There, under sight not only of the lone Myrmarch staring buggily down, but also both hosts, I kissed them both. Then I handed Semuane my swordbill and sword, and then bade Ess climb the crag. Gamely we scampered upward, though my worry set him on edge. We reached the cragtop and beheld the Myrmarch awaiting.

Again I overlooked her shell-whelmed head and body, and the glyphs etched thereon. Quoth the Southerners, Formians so bewrite their deeds and rank upon their bodies. Unshakingly, this Myrmarch’s shell was so etched down to her spindly feet. Though she bore no weapon, I beminded her tail-stinger bowed high. If this outcame a trap, then I reckoned I had Ess to even the odds, and we should sell our lives so dearly as we could.

Ess halted about ten strides from the Myrmarch. I doffed helm under arm and looked with eyes unhindered. Likewise did the Myrmarch, though her inborn shell on brow and cheeks stayed. I then bewitted I had given no thought on how to begin this speech. So I stretch forth my antennae, felt for her mind, and merely bade: ~Limi:~ “Speak.”

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 25, 2026, 9:57 AM

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 24, 2026, 10:04 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_ Lady Vaeol recounts the desperation of her first major battle...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

Our leaders had foreminded the foe's stroke, forwhy we shota-riders had withheld back. A mindyell hailed forth and rebeat from sith to team. We outriders reached forth to our underlings and brought all into warmind. Then for my first time ever we loped forth as I had only heard in yoretales when mighty onslaughts underwent with hundreds of steeds and riders, swordbills raised and aimed together wolderfully. Neither was I ready for the madness when our row crashed on their flank: the dreadful sight of Formian warriors right before, my swordbill’s wrench almost torn from hand when it drove into a warrior's shell, Ess’s leap overhead, and the sick lurch as he off-fought tumbling when we landed.

Then, to my fear, we rode alone. Istae, Semuane, and Vosaeth, who had ridden besides were forgone. We ran in eery emptiness where the fight had spun beyond.

Two Formian warriors ran at us. Ess wheeled away while barely I got my blade fewtered and stabbed even while a wicked axe scraped my shoulderdish. Then we swerved back and beheld nightmare. Right ahead, three Formians bore down a shota and rider, blades and stingers stabbing, the steed keening woefully. Hatred bloomed, greatened under warmind from shieldmates’ hurt and fear smiting my soul. Ess sped forward. His leap and claws crushed one while my spearstroke stabbed another’s back, and he shouldered against the third. Then we dashed beyond ere hap to see whether the last foe outlived.

I spotted Istae over the field and rode to meet. Together we wheeled and headed toward another riderteam striving with a like twain of Formians, whom we brunted and overrode. Then our new foursome outsought like rider-knots. Yet already the fight was almost fordone. All over the field Formians died (though few fled) and none withstanding.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 24, 2026, 9:54 PM

Mid-Week Lashunta Inspiration
Artist: Wilhelm Kotarbinsky

Nothing cooler, nothing classier, than a damya in power.

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 24, 2026, 10:12 AM

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 10:32 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol's illusions about warfare against the Formians get violently dispelled...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding #worldanvil

At once we fell to our first goal: burning Formian food-fields that upheld the neighbor-colony and swarm-holds of their west-lying mainland. Here I am ashamed to tell our deed. It became dirty, ugly slaughterwork, which I would have deemed unwarriorly ere our warfare hither, and moreover unworthy, but that our captains bade us so do at our Valmaean leaders’ will. I had erenever seen Formians in life, only hue-drafts of frightful buglike things, stinger-wielding and dragging wretched lashunta to their burrows as food and egg-fodder. I was unready for the small, shiny beetle-wights that scurried and shrieked forward or scrambled lost and trapped within their burning fields. They died so ruthfully under blade and claw. We sorrowfully made sheer slaughter with will to stamp and outroot them from the world, though claim the Elders that so had the Formians done to our foremothers in Lost Valmaea while the Sage-Queens’ downfall. Many nights sinceward, I have lain awake or come upon deck, where I have knelt and prayed Burning-Mother for forgiveness, for I cannot ban their queer screams from mind. I fear their deaths have besmirched my soul.

Then our ill mood turned to dread when the Formian backlash came. We met no more grublike workers, but tall, with four legs and shells like armor, two arms wielding axbills, and deadly stingers jutting lewdly. They brunted smartly in lockstepping tows, eager and fearless. Neither could I unmind they were doing so to ward their homeland, and moreso their own folk.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 10:14 PM

Mid-Week Lashunta Inspiration
Hans Zatzka

Regarding Castrovel's fauna, it's easy to fixate on the big saurian ~Qoelu~ - shotalashu, shieldeads, and larger, up to yaruks & nysshalora. Yet what about birds?

cont -->

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@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 10:02 PM

In the beginning of _A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3_, Lady Vaeol describes their deployment to the Formian War's front...

#pathfinder #pathfinder2e #lashunta #castrovel #rpg #ttrpg #worldbuilding

...After that first year, we were sent to Ofu-Vou, and there found no offthank, only plight. Ofu Vou stands as Valmaeyana’s westernmost watch-hold within the Straits of Glory. It sits on an island forsoothly little more than a rock rising starkly from the sea. Else than a small dale and upland where Shota may hunt birds and lost thurses, its only wealth lies in a harbor, where a fleet of deep ships may lie, and stoutly warded by two armlike headlands whereon strongholds overlook. I was first aloss as to why the High Staff should send us there, since we are land-warriors.

However, we soon got word forthcoming. Soon we were packed back aship, where we joined a doughty fleet of forty ships and sailed westward, straight toward the Colonies of the Formians.

Of this warfare, I cannot easily tell what I witnessed else than odd whits: blood’s golden stain on water, the sight of ships burning at night, the dread of a huge Formian shell-hulk rowing buglike toward, and sorrow of bodies floating dead and still. Our goal within this greater sorrow-tale was a raid against Zonyu, a Formian-held island at the strait’s eastern side, as misdrawal against a bigger host that would outseek the wards nigh Lost Valmaea. We landed a strong raidhost of ten flags, mostly Qabarata and our like fellows, but with Valmaean scouts.

@lashunta.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 10:01 AM

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