23/3/243 a.t.i.(1)

Today is the day of our departure. Finally. We have been waiting to explore the mountains to the north for decades, only to realize we did not have the means to do so. Our new climbing gear has been tested on the steepest of rocks and breeders from Man have helped us breed Kalels(2) to withstand some of the harsher weather on the mountain tops.

Lei has had me and all of eir(3) other students sewing sketchbooks and grinding ink for a week. We have three kalels for the the documenting division, it isn’t much but we also do not need as much gear as the engineers, klimbers or feeders. Fari and the rest of the hunting squat have been training almost every day, and in the nights they read the books on plants written by those who attempted to climb the mountains before. Their travel and sacrifices were not all in vain.

My para(4) and ente(4) were in tears hugging the air out of my lungs and they would scarcely let me go, I shall miss them. Zil, my dear sibsib(5) tried to hide eir tears, but it was clear ey were sad to see me go. Ey messed up my hair, I will miss em too. I managed to draw Ig, the kalel I am in charge of. It will probably be awhile before I have the time to draw something other than a few ink lines.

May Sensus(6) watch over us and grant us minds to understand the wonders that we see.

a.t.i. means after temple island. This is how you measure time in the belt countries.

Kalels are pack animals found in most of the belt countries.Ey, em eir are pronouns like he and she, but gender neutral.

In Devuado, where Kayaan originates, there are no genders in language. As such there is ey instead of he or she, and different ungendered words for parents and siblings.

Para and ente are different words for parent. Like mom, mutty, papa and dad.

Sibsib is a word for sibling. Often used for older siblings where sib is often used for the younger. In families with more than 2 children there are often used a different world for each child.