woven by the stars

a woven book.

amongst her many trinkets and treasures in her bag, therein lies a special handmade journal which soraka has kept with her for centuries upon centuries. this book is lovingly written in multiple scripts & languages that our night-guardian has encountered in her numerous travels--& entails a variety of topics and subjects. these expansive collections of entries & thoughts can range into herbology, arcane study, geology, astrology (all the 'ologies, really) & of course, soraka's own personal thoughts during her travels. some of which, entail her experiences & moments with them--- the more personal of which soraka always keeps within the journal no matter how many times she adds or remove pages.

she's been known to write about notable individuals & figures as well; all to document & archive history and people for herself. such individuals have included the kindred, shadow isles individuals (thresh, kalista, hecarim, mordekaiser, etc.) , the three sisters of the freljord, bard, creatures of legend or myth such as evelynn, fiddlesticks, nocturne, etc.

as to be expected, this woven journal can get quite filled & heavy if soraka is not careful; & it's the maintenance of this archival process (amongst other things) that bring her back to her comfy yurt in targon. during her first few days of returning--- soraka typically organizes her writings in bundles, lovingly undoing the bindings of her work so she can take pages out & store them away for safekeeping; only to return to the journal and insert new pages that await her adventures. this is the journal that reminds soraka of her purpose when she's in her darkest moments; rereading her own times & memories of friends & strangers that have come & passed. as bittersweet as it is to acknowledge that some of her loved ones are no longer present, the starchild honours her moments with them; reminding herself of the vow she took upon herself when she fell from the heavens:

traditions & daily rituals.

throughout her travels on runeterra, soraka has gained a set of traditions & habits that reflect her adaptation to the people & passing of time. soraka still burns incense to ward off evil spirits, & keeps a bowl of water by her windsill at night as a way to collect moonwater to use in healing— practices which were only seen during the era of shurima's reign. she always pours the first cup of steeped tea over a clay figurine shaped like an animal before drinking her own, a custom from ionia which began long ago. and as she walks through forests, the starchild always asks for permission of the spirits which reside there for passage. 

these are only but a few which have stayed with soraka; but she keeps each of them dear to her heart. though it may seem that upholding these practices is a way for her to cling to her past, she views it much differently. for her to remember & to act out the motions is paying homage to those that have come & gone. soraka was taught of the tea ceremony by a dear friend that she had encountered during her travels in the land that is now noxian territory, given small idols of deities by those she had healed in shurima as a token of their gratitude; & even shown a method of weaving that belonged to a tribe which is now long gone. 

the vastayas. 

the vastayan tribe of the ottrani are the ones which soraka has dutifully guided & watched over for as long as she could remember. every once in a while, the starchild wanders from her home to their dwellings with handmade blankets, food, dreamcatchers, and whatever else she can bring to aid them. together, she shares her stories of travel across runeterra & dines with them ( as it’s often nighttime when she visits ) , often enlightening & answering any questions they may have for her. though soraka cannot answer all, she tries her best to reassure & to teach , especially to the younger ones. after dinner, they dance & sing songs or simply let soraka play her lyre for them; on other nights they would even play alongside her.

when midnight falls upon them, soraka goes to the fledgling stellacorns with the village elder, grandfather rumul , and catches up with the ongoings of the tribe that they don’t share during the gathering before heading back & lulling the younger vastayans to sleep. 

in her songs, soraka often sings about forgotten tales, slowed-down ballads from sailors that she overhears, & sometimes , she sings about her own past for the youngest who has trouble resting; often intertwining her own sleeping magic into her words as she cradles them close.