kario

PANDORIANS AND THEIR CULTURE PT. 1

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

The biggest perk of being pandorian is to change your appearance on a whim. New-born pandorians are but small clouds of blue mist, similar to the shadow seekers roaming the islands (see: WILDLIFE). Once they reach a certain “age”, and I’m saying that with big quotations, they start to think about their physical form. Many of them choose the aidenean form, derived from the local religion. Others refuse to bind themselves to one form and choose what fits best for their next family gathering. There is also a small group of pandorians who do not support changing your original form and prefer living as a cloud. Unfortunately, I cannot ask them more questions about their life choices as I am physically unable to understand what they are saying. Clouds do not have a voice range compatible with my ears, you see.

(For more information about the aidenean form, see the section RELIGION.)

Pandorians, naturally, have no gender. I say naturally, because once they choose a form, their body adapts to the properties of the species. They are created by Pandoria itself, thus they do not have a concept of blood-relation. That does not mean they don't form familial bonds, just that pandorians do not have parents. There is a concept of siblings, in a way, when several pandorians are born in close succession.

RELIGION

Pandorians and Jorvegians share a common deity. Both versions of the myth live in synergy with each other; one about the disappearance from Pandoria and one about the arrival on Jorvik. Makes you think what other events mirror each other as well…

The myth of Aideen is as such:

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Before the realms were connected, pandorians saw reflections of a different land, green and full of light – with unknown beasts and colors that did not exist. Aideen, a being unsatisfied with Her own existence, observed them and weeped. The pandorians were never meant to transform, you see. They were born from mist, always still, never changing. But when Aideen saw the beasts, She longed to be something more. She started to change; into a dove, a butterfly, a horse, a human. She merged different beasts, experimented, formed intricate designs that amazed other pandorians.

But, after a while, the reflections started to dim. Aideen searched for the source of their disappearance and found visions of a dying land. No longer She saw the beautiful beasts, but stone and ocean depths. Distraught by losing what gave Her the gift of transformation, She stepped into the dimming light. Now stuck in one form, She sacrificed herself to revive the unknown land . The two realms have connected at last.

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There are many interpretations of this myth. During my travels, I’ve seen several versions of it. In one of them, Aideen has been punished because of her undying thirst of knowledge. In another, there was no Aideen – a collective of pandorians has made the choice themselves. So on and so forth. There are, however, three major groups who dictate their culture.

Pandorians who choose to be formless believe that the gift of transformation is no gift at all, but a curse. When you change yourself, the connection between you and Pandoria gets weaker. With each transformation, you lose a part of yourself with it – one day you might find that there is no You anymore. Of course there are also those who just prefer their original, cloud-like appearance.

People who do not have a set form believe that Aideen paved a path for them. They should, just like her, have the freedom to choose what they are. I found that this worldview often correlates with the drifters (see: SPACE). I have seen many drifters who turn into a flock of birds for travelling purposes. Or fish, for that matter. Many pandorians do not see a difference between water and air, oddly enough. Most likely because of the flying manta rays.

And, lastly, we have the horse-people. They are a group of religious pandorians whose form is a manifestation of their faith. They believe that Aideen sacrificed Herself so Pandoria and Earth could live as one. They seek connection with Jorvik and aim for direct communication between the realms. Usually, they are the ones depicted on tablets or texts.

The aidenean form is a reflection of their relationship to Aideen. They want to show kinship with their predecessor and keep Her memory alive. Thus, I translated their name accordingly:

AIDEEN –> aodh + en

AIDENEAN –> aodh + nighean

(See that, Avalon? My druid training is paying off!)

In my experience, pandorians choose this form the most. They are the majority on the Islands, architecture and fashion is often made with them in mind. Of course, religion is a very fluid concept. I cannot write down all the different variations and traditions. Many pandorians aren’t religious at all, simply chose one form over another because of preference.

FASHION

I cannot, with a sane mind, pinpoint the exact time frame of my findings. When I lose my mind I will update the notes accordingly. For now, I shall try my best.

I must point out that the majority of clothing described here comes from the aideneans, as they are the biggest clothing fans of the group. Thus, the clothing I will be describing are fit for their horse-like stature. There are, of course, pandorians who change form and enjoy clothing, but that depends solely on what form they choose to be. Each Pandorian chooses their own body, so there is little need to keep stagnant in their choices. Pandoria is chaos, and chaos does not concern itself with rules. Formless pandorians don’t even bother with clothes, as they would be rather pointless for beings made out of magic and water.

Even aideneans didn't originally wear clothes. The humid environment didn't require them to keep warm nor did they have the shared societal pressure to even consider it. They did, however, wrap their calves in fabric to avoid injury. They didn’t wear much, but their decorations were on another level. Mane and tail were decorated with plants and minerals weaved into the braids. I’ve asked my dear friend Ceit, obsessed with traditional clothing, what materials were often used in braiding; purplegrass, crying Aideen leaves and common pandoric crystals (see: VEGETATION). Mushrooms were avoided due to the smell. I completely understand that sentiment, I couldn’t get the smell out for weeks after one dreadful expedition.

If you ever need clarification whether you’re looking at a shapeahifted pandorian or a wild animal, look out for the hair decoration!

Gradually, they were introduced to our style of clothing through humans, witches and other Jorvegian beings. They adapted it to fit their needs; they often chose loose fabrics allowing free movement, light enough to wear in the hot environment. They are very fond of detail, frighteningly so. I can’t draw it all even if I tried.

Nowadays, instead of cloth, they wear something akin to leg wraps. Fitting! I've been looking around the islands and they are very popular. I've seen some younger folks walking around with painted skulls on. The teenager experience is a common phenomenon no matter what dimension you are in. Cloth wraps are still used as traditional wear during religious events and celebrations.

TIME

Explaining time to a pandorian is like explaining carbonated water to a fish; illogical, unneeded and it hurts their head. And believe me, I’ve tried explaining many times. Pandorians exist outside of time, but what does that even mean? They move and talk just like humans do, but once you enter their dimension… you wish you hadn’t. Your vision starts to swirl and legs begin to move in a zig-zag patten even though you’ve never asked them to do that. As a person used to being drunk on two bottles of mead, I find that experience quite familiar. Once you get used to it, it’s bearable. My many years spent in this dimension have somewhat adapted me to the environment, although it comes at a cost (see:  PANDORIC SICKESS).

Pandoria works on simple logic – if it can happen, it will. Which means, not simple at all. Although every being lives linearly, one might find themselves looking at a tree that has not been there before. Your friend is twice as tall as you, yet you are stuck as a teenager for another eternity. So on and so forth. My visits to Pandoria have been particularly confusing. As a being used to the frames of time, I’ve felt as though I spent two weeks walking around, yet when I came back my tea was still piping hot!

I’ve asked a fellow traveller, a witch searching for supplies in the pandoric wilderness, of what she thinks about this anecdote. She said “My only concern is to come back home before my ten year old kids leave for university”.

SPACE

Pandoria is ever changing, but it follows a general structure that the locals have named and written down. The maps are a crude representation of Pandoria; in reality it warps and bends and twists and pulls as each non-existing second passes. No living thing is able to capture that on paper.

The Islands –> space for all living beings. Much like planets in space, they drift in the infinite expanse of shining lights (I haven’t been able to deduce what the lights are. Are they stars? Other islands? The chaotic energy of Pandoria?)

The Infinite Down –> once you fall, there is no hope for you. You will fall for eternity or until your lungs give out. The difficult environment influenced several species to develop flight, such as flying manta rays, formless pandorians and shadow seekers.

The Space Between –> once you cross the portal to Pandoria, you need to pass through a foggy, deserted place. That is the Space Between. It acts as a gateway between time and space; a moment of complete stillness.

Navigating Pandoria is nigh impossible. Each island is moving around like a big, everlasting kaleidoscope. Every time you enter a portal, you end up in a different location. When you want to go back to the previous island, you might discover that there is an empty space left instead. No matter if you are human or pandorian, you are forever lost. That is why pandorians choose one of two ways in life; some stay in one place their whole life and others travel from island to island, never to return home. (I was relieved when I’ve learned that there is a free shelter system in Pandoria. I’m so happy I don’t have to abandon hot showers!) I call them the settlers and the drifters. Pandorians have their own names for them; the direct translation would be “the one who stays” and “the one who travels”.

It’s difficult to live in a place so chaotic, even for equally chaotic beings, but at least they get to choose their fate. Throughout my journey I’ve travelled to many cities and met many amazing people, but I am unable to return to them again. I feel kinship with the drifters, missing home even though you are doing what you love. When I finally came back to Valedale, I hugged my brother as hard as I could.

There is only one known way of going back to a specific location; the Keystones. They lead to one singular island. A rather unremarkable island on its own, but it has collected quite the collection of pandorian and human activity. No one knows why the Keystones were built. Fripp is being weirdly silent about it…

The “kaleidoscope” nature of this place has made communication nigh-impossible. Thus, the difference between the Islands’ scientific development is striking. You can travel from an Island straight out of a sci-fi book to a rural village. Drifters try to bring different inventions across the land, but there are infinitely more Islands than there are people. Traveling through Pandoria is like a game of roulette – you never know what you’re going to get!

PANDORIC SICKNESS

While exploring this realm is very fascinating, with each visit my health has been slowly declining. As of writing this, I am unable to return there ever again. Beings from Earth are not accustomed to an existence outside of time. Their bodies and minds deteriorate each time they think about the absurdity of breathing backwards. The pandoric sickness, as I have dubbed it, starts in the mind and travels through the nervous system until your entire body is completely covered in pink.

I've made a simple and effective list to make your trip suck a bit less:

First and foremost, it attacks your eyesight – eyes are windows to your soul and Pandoria wants to swallow it for breakfast. When you are overwhelmed, cover your eyes and pray for the best.

Direct contact with pandoric energy worsens the effects; just avoid touching anything you don’t know the exact properties of, otherwise your limbs will be next in line for amputation.

Avoid cuts and bruises, the sickness clings to open skin. Many people in contact with pandoric energy discover that their old scars have suddenly started to glow pink. You don’t want that to happen, trust me.

Remember to cover your nose when you venture into the wilderness. You can easily take care of a scratch on your hand, but you can’t sneeze out microscopic particles from your lungs.

Don’t eat unknown plants. Just don’t.

THE GARNOK CONUNDRUM

Garnok reigns terror on Jorvik and He reigns terror in Pandoria. Ever since the Dark Riders have started to raise Him from the dead, Pandoria got the short end of the stick. Islands upon islands have been sinking into the depths of the Infinite Down. What we know on Jorvik as pandoric cracks are massive tears in Pandoria’s surface. I’ve met many pandorians who fled to Jorvik in fear of being next. The soul crushing fact about that is; you can find your way out of Pandoria, but it’s impossible to return to your home island when you go back.

It’s been happening more and more in recent years. I hope the new generation of Soul Riders will succeed where we could not.

PANDORIA AND MAGIC

Have you ever wondered how magic works on Jorvik? Pandoria is the key. You see, many believe that magic appeared after Aideen’s arrival on the island. Whether that is truth or myth, there is no doubt that the magic we have today has roots in Pandoria.

When pandoric magic seeped into the earth, it started to adapt to the new environment. Nature and pandoric energy worked together to become something else. Nowadays, we can distinguish three separate sources of magic:

Jorvik’s native magic, used by the Witches, is Jorvik’s source of energy. It’s also the most capricious form of magic, as it requires you to study it for years before you can safely use it. It is, however, the most potent out of all of them. You can find sources of its energy in any plant or being on Jorvik. Therefore, it does not require a conduit, such as wands, like druid magic does. All knowledge about it is found in the Witches’ tomes, which are passed down from generation to generation. It’s nearly impossible to find one of those without repercussions. Thus, our understanding of this kind of magic is very limited.

Druid magic is sourced from pandoric energy found on Jorvik. In the early days, we’ve found that the leftover energy from pandoric activity is possibly harmful to the environment. Because of that, druids have developed a magic system that harvests it and stores it inside conduits, such as runestones, tablets, staffs and wands. It’s not pure pandoric energy, but a safer and more tame variant, thus it is relatively safe to use. It’s weaker than Jorvik’s native magic, but with a good rune combination you can achieve wonders. There are certain people who can use it without any tool, as their whole being is a natural conduit – those blessed with Aideen’s light. Horse whisperers and the Soul Riders are a prime example.

Pandoric magic is chaotic in nature. Not many people can wield it, only pandorians themselves and the most powerful of Witches, called the Vala, can harness its energy. You can counter it with a natural antithesis of chaos – a massive clock. I’ve learned that very recently.