Aevori World Dictionary

Aevori Culture & People

Aevori

Mysterious, all-female beings who dwell exclusively in the Velun wilderness. Though humanoid, their essence is touched by ancient forces and an evolutionary divergence steeped in forgotten biotechnologies. Each Aevori is born with luminous tattoos called Inkborn, which grow and shift with emotional, spiritual, and magical maturity.

Aspects-in-Stillness

Rare individuals whose tattoos remain fixed, never blooming beyond their First Mark. Rather than seen as weak or deficient, they are revered as sacred anchors of memory and wisdom. These women become writers of Eshari glyphs, interpreters of dreams, or keepers of prophecy. They live mostly in the Stillgrove.

Cradlekeepers

Chosen caretakers of new Aevori life. These elder women oversee the birthing rituals, teach early awareness of tattoo behavior, and protect infants until their First Bloom. Many Cradlekeepers are also historians and singers of Womb-Chants, ancient hymns sung at the moment of birth.

The Lost, Nahra-Valh (Corrupted Aevori)

A tragic and rare phenomenon. These Aevori undergo a psychic fracture—usually from deep grief, trauma, or isolation—and their tattoos become distorted and aggressive, often pulsing with erratic red or black hues. Known as The Lost, they abandon the harmony of Velun and become vicious wanderers, capable of great magical destruction.

The Echo-Walkers

Silent warriors trained to track and neutralize The Lost. They are elite, shrouded in cloaks that mute their tattoos and movements. Many Echo-Walkers are former companions of those who fell to corruption.

Tattoo-Sisters

Kindred spirits bound through shared trauma, magic, or choice. Their tattoos sometimes resonate or intertwine during intense emotions. These bonds are stronger than familial ones and often last a lifetime.

The Rootborn

A term used for Aevori who rarely speak aloud, preferring to communicate through tattoo-glow, glyphs, or gestures. Believed to be “closer to the forest,” they often have magic linked to growth, healing, or communion with animals.

Places & Geography

Velun Wilderness

The great primeval forest that encircles the Aevori world. Its trees glow faintly at night, and the land shifts slowly, as if alive. Paths vanish and reappear based on mood, emotion, and natural magic. Non-Aevori cannot survive long in its depths.

Mountain of Veu-Nahra

A colossal peak with crystalline veins and subterranean chambers. The spiritual heart of the Aevori, home to ancient glyph libraries, the Birthing Pool, and echoing memory halls. Only Cradlekeepers and chosen ones may descend into its inner chambers.

The Luminous Veins

Bioluminescent roots beneath Velun, visible at night and used to transmit emotional pulses. Some Aevori can read the veins like a map of memory, sensing past events and forest disturbances.

The Stillgrove

A sacred grove shrouded in ever-present mist. The Aspects-in-Stillness live here in absolute silence. Glyph-stones and memory-trees cover the grove. The silence is said to enhance thought and reveal truths unspoken.

Whispering Basin

A sacred pool that echoes thoughts or ancestral voices. Used in meditation and rite-of-passage trials. Tattooed reflections in the water can reveal hidden truths or approaching corruption.

The Thornshell Expanse

A dangerous region filled with twisted, spiked trees and stinging wind. Corrupted Aevori sometimes dwell here. It’s also where trial rituals called The Spiraling are held.

The Moon-Ledges

Tall cliff terraces where some Aevori perform moonlight dances that enhance their tattoo strength. The lunar glow awakens rare magical patterns called Nightmarks.

Magic & Tattoos

Tattoo Magic (Inkborn Gift)

All Aevori are born with a static tattoo, typically a single glyph or swirl. These grow in complexity, color, and movement as they emotionally mature and connect with the Velun. Each woman’s tattoos reflect her inner self and magical affinity: water, flame, memory, shadow, wind, light, or thought.

First Bloom

Occurs between ages 4–6, when the initial tattoos begin to glow and pulse with independent energy. Often brought on by emotion—joy, fear, or wonder.

Second Spiral

A rite during adolescence that tests the Aevori’s inner truth and awakens deeper control over their powers. Those who pass are given their Second Skin—a new tattoo that wraps around their spine or chest, symbolizing self-harmony.

Threading

The technique of channeling Lumyn (life energy) through tattoos to enact magic. Threading requires emotional clarity; if misaligned, the tattoos may become painful or inert.

Bondflare

A sudden, radiant reaction of tattoos between two or more Aevori. Often occurs during intense love, fear, battle, or shared vision. Temporary, but incredibly powerful.

Lumyn

The energetic essence that flows through all life in Velun and fuels Aevori tattoo magic. Collected, focused, or released through rituals or meditations.

Skinbooks

Rarely, Aspects-in-Stillness allow their entire body to be inscribed with Eshari glyphs, turning themselves into living libraries of lore. These Aevori are rarely seen but profoundly respected.

Spillings

Magical accidents caused by emotionally unstable Threading. Often result in glowing bursts, uncontrollable weeping tattoos, or temporary blindness. Used as teaching moments for young initiates.

Language & Writing (Eshari)

Eshari Glyphs

The visual language developed by Aspects-in-Stillness to preserve thoughts, histories, and emotions. Glyphs combine symbolic geometry with intuitive flow—read more by feeling than logic. Each glyph has a resonance that alters meaning based on its placement or the writer’s intention.

Wordmarking

The act of recording sacred glyphs into nature—stone, tree bark, bone, shell, or skin. Often requires silence and concentration. Wordmarked items are considered spiritually charged.

Silent Verse

A gestural, poetic language using fingers, breath, and shifting tattoos. Practiced in sacred gatherings or moments when spoken words would disrupt the natural flow of magic.

Glyph of Becoming

A fundamental Eshari glyph. Symbolizes growth, transformation, and destiny. Usually tattooed over the heart or palm.

Memory Trees

Enormous ancient trees in the Stillgrove inscribed with generations of glyphs. Touching one allows brief flashes of ancestral emotion or memory.

Glyph Echoes

Faint afterimages left in the air after powerful spellcasting or emotional outbursts. Can be read by sensitive Aevori.

The Crescent Root Glyph

Symbol of hope and return. Painted outside homes during times of grief or transition.

Items, Objects & Tools

Veu Stone

A glowing crystalline material used in rituals, vision quests, and artifact creation. Absorbs ambient Lumyn and enhances tattoo potency. Often shaped into pendants or circles for meditation.

Black Staff

Weapon and tool carved from Heartwood. Carried by senior Aevori or those trained in the Dance of the Circle, a silent martial art based on rhythm and spatial reading.

Pulse Sphere

A condensed ball of tattoo energy used for communication, navigation, or protection. Responds to heartbeat and emotion. Advanced Aevori can alter its glow color to signal specific meanings.

Spirit Thread

Silvery organic fiber, soft yet unbreakable. Used in sacred binding rites, vow ceremonies, or to stitch open wounds while preserving Lumyn flow.

Memory Dust

Fine blue powder ground from fallen Veu Stones. Used to draw temporary glyphs in the air or on skin. These glyphs glow briefly before vanishing.

Flarebraids

Tattoo-enhanced hair braids that store magical charges. When untied, they release bursts of energy or trigger illusions.

Phrases & Sayings

“The Skin Remembers.”

A proverb expressing that one’s past—joys, griefs, mistakes—are always part of them and can be learned from.

“Breathe with the Forest.”

A ritual phrase uttered to synchronize oneself with Velun’s natural rhythms, used before magic, meditation, or sleep.

“Let the Stillness Speak.”

A reminder to embrace silence and allow truth to emerge without force. Often used during emotional tension or conflict.

“You carry your mother’s light.”

A blessing recognizing inherited strength, wisdom, and memory.

“Her tattoos no longer listen.”

A solemn phrase used when referring to a Corrupted Aevori. Signifies their loss of spiritual harmony.

“Skin sings truest in still water.”

Means that clarity and meaning are best revealed during peace and self-reflection.

“Your path spirals, but forward it moves.”

A saying used to comfort those struggling with failure or grief. Acknowledges that growth is not linear.

“Light calls to light.”

A poetic phrase denoting deep connection or destined meetings.

Map Reference Guide of the Velun Wilderness

1. The Velun Wilderness

Region Type: Enchanted Primeval Forest

Map Marker: Central biome, occupying 70% of the visible map

Description:

The core setting of Aevori life. Dense, ancient trees glow faintly with embedded Lumyn. No known paths exist except those created by feeling, intuition, or ritual. The terrain is alive—it subtly shifts, closes, or opens trails in response to an Aevori’s emotional state.

Key Features:

• Bioluminescent flora

• Dense canopies and hidden clearings

• Natural Lumyn flow zones (see: Luminous Veins)

• Home to wild spirit-creatures, some of which resonate with Aevori tattoos

2. Mountain of Veu-Nahra

Region Type: Sacred Mountain Complex

Map Marker: Northeastern quadrant, surrounded by mist banks and glyph fields

Description:

The birthing and ceremonial heart of Aevori culture. Snow-dusted exterior, with internal crystal caverns and sacred echo chambers. The mountain breathes softly through underground vents. Entry requires specific tattoo markings and permission.

Notable Locations:

• The Heart Chamber: The birthing pool of glowing blood and life

• The Library of Echoes: Deep chamber carved with living glyphs

• Voicefall Cliffs: Where rites of sacrifice or meditation are held

3. The Stillgrove

Region Type: Sacred Silent Grove

Map Marker: Central west, nestled between twin rivers

Description:

A sacred, fog-shrouded grove of white-barked trees. Permanent residence of Aspects-in-Stillness. Moss-draped stones carry carved glyphs. Birds do not sing here, and even wild animals tread carefully.

Cultural Role:

• Center of written language, vision-making, and prophecy

• Houses Memory Trees and the Glyph Stones

• Boundaries protected by subtle illusion magic

Whispering Basin

Region Type: Prophetic Pool

Map Marker: Southwest of Veu-Nahra, at base of three waterfalls

Description:

A pool where time seems to stand still. Its water hums in response to nearby presence. Aevori come here for vision quests, reflection, or healing of emotional trauma.

Features:

• Hidden entrance through a weeping willow canopy

• Glyphs form naturally on water’s surface during meditation

• Reflections can show inner truths or ancestral memory

5. The Luminous Veins

Region Type: Underground Root Network

Map Marker: Subsurface overlay visible via map key

Description:

A glowing web of roots and vines that crisscross beneath Velun. These veins pulse with natural magic and memory. Used for travel, ritual navigation, and energy drawing.

Entry Points:

• Beneath old groves or moon-marked trees

• Cracks in sacred stone formations

• Directly through Veu-Nahra’s inner caverns

6. The Thornshell Expanse

Region Type: Dangerous Trial Zone

Map Marker: Eastern edge of the map; beyond the Wild Wall

Description:

A bramble-strewn wasteland where corrupted Aevori (The Lost) often dwell. Constant wind howls through razor-branch trees. This is where The Spiraling takes place—a survival rite for Aevori approaching adulthood.

Visual Markers:

• Trees with jagged bark and no leaves

• Pools of corrupted Lumyn

• Signs of broken glyphs etched into stones

7. The Moon-Ledges

Region Type: High-altitude Ritual Cliffs

Map Marker: Northwest cliffs overlooking forest canopy

Description:

Flat terraces bathed in moonlight. Aevori come here during full moons for tattoo-enhancement dances. Lunar exposure may activate Nightmarks, hidden tattoo patterns visible only in silver light.

Features:

• Natural amphitheaters formed by ancient erosion

• Glyph-inscribed stone platforms

• Best view of Veu-Nahra and the distant horizon

8. The Cradle-Circle

Region Type: Sacred Grove for Children

Map Marker: Near the base of Veu-Nahra

Description:

The nursery and first training grounds for Aevori infants and children. Encircled by protective trees that bend inward like a living cradle. Older Cradlekeepers live nearby.

Function:

• Early education in tattoo awareness and emotional resonance

• Heavily protected by tattoo wards

• Frequent site for lullaby rituals and storytelling

. The Pathless Arena (Shae’tahl Grounds)

Region Type: Training Arena / Ritual Dance Space

Map Marker: South-central forest clearing

Description:

A clearing with an invisible border where tattoo warriors train in Shae’tahl, a martial ritual that blends dance and combat. Not competitive—intended for emotional resolution, power honing, and kinship testing.

Features:

• Smooth stone ring under moss

• Surrounded by echoing trees that carry sound far

• Ground glyphs reset daily by Aspects-in-Stillness

10. The Hollow of Bonewind

Region Type: Wind-Carved Cavern

Map Marker: Deep southeastern forest, obscured by illusion

Description:

A whispering cavern said to amplify ancestral voices. Used for memory initiation or binding oaths to the tribe. Named for the wind that produces flute-like sounds as it passes through carved bones in the stone.

Legends Say:

• Some who enter hear voices that speak truths never spoken aloud

• The Lost cannot enter—warded by truth-resonant glyphs

11. The Circle of Returning

Region Type: Ceremonial Farewell Site

Map Marker: Western forest edge

Description:

Used when an Aevori leaves the tribe for pilgrimage or does not return. A circle of stones surrounds an eternal blue flame. Glyphs for remembrance are added to its perimeter after each passing.

Functions:

• Center for grief rites, final blessings

• Memory dust is scattered to preserve their Lumyn trace

• Pulse spheres are sometimes left as echoes of those lost

12. The Stone of Velurith

Region Type: Monumental Monolith

Map Marker: Northern Velun border

Description:

A singular, massive upright stone covered in glyphs no Aevori alive today can fully read. It predates the tribe. Touching it causes momentary flashes of foreign landscapes and stars.

Uses:

• Stargazers and Nahrari visit it for guidance

• A place of pilgrimage for Aspects-in-Stillness seeking clarity

13. The Sky-Glen of Nahrari

Region Type: Stargazing Basin

Map Marker: Near the Veunari boundary, southwest of Velun

Description:

A hilltop clearing that reveals a pristine view of the stars. Nahrari, the seekers and visionaries, gather here during celestial events to commune with the unknown.

Legends:

• Some claim to see lights in the sky respond to tattoos glowing

• The site is used to predict seasonal cycles and rare tattoo awakenings

14. The Embering Path

Region Type: Trial Journey Trail

Map Marker: Connects Veu-Nahra to Thornshell Expanse

Description:

A secret path walked only once in a lifetime—during The Spiraling. Each step tests endurance, emotional truth, and magical strength. Said to reflect the walker’s fears as mirages.

Ritual Features:

• Symbols appear in glowing ash as each trial is passed

• Trees along the path record the walker’s emotional imprint

Map Creation Notes (For Visual Artists or Design Tools):

Design Guidelines:

• Color Scheme: Cool bioluminescent palette (deep greens, glowing blues, faded purples)

• Topography: Include height variations around Veu-Nahra, forest density markers, rivers, and moonlight-cleared paths

• Overlay: Add a Lumyn Flow Layer—network of glowing root paths beneath surface

• Symbols:

• Spiral = Shae’tahl Grounds

• Crescent Moon = Moon-Ledges

• Eye = Whispering Basin

• Open Palm = Cradle-Circle

• Thorn Wreath = Thornshell Expanse