Tsingis Artisans: Art of Stoneshaw
As we know, all troll tribes have specialties that help them both in combat and in everyday life, such as in the market place. In the Heartstone Hollow and Heartstone Bazaar, the Tsingis specialties are known as Stoneshaws. Careful craftsmen known collectively as Stonesheers reveal their skills in the intricate and often delicate etching work they create both in private and the public square.
Three of the most evident examples of Stoneshaw can be found in various forms known as Hornshaw, Glyphshaw, and Lampshaw.
HornshawÂ
Hornshaw is the careful carving of troll horns in which a troll’s history, great deeds, or just neat designs are carefully carved into their horns. Based on their personal preferences, a Hornsheer (practitioner of Hornshaw) provides the the option of the carvings being filled with lacquer to prevent breaking. This technique is a popular way of advertising who you are, what you’ve done, and what you do within the Hollow and Bazaar. It is a form of expression, advertisement, and cultural heritage.
As insurance to prevent mistakes during Hornsheering, Hornsheers will often practice on other materials such as skulls, stones and minerals so that both they and their customer feel safe and confident in the design chosen. This is especially important as hornsheering does take a great deal of time and patience from both Hornsheer and the receiver of the Hornshaw, but it is often as rewarding as it is time-consuming
Glyphshaw
Glyphshaw is the ornamental carvings on cave walls both in market, home, and business settings. They can depict words, stories, histories, or simply be ornamental for homes and sacred places. Glyphsheers have long memories, sharp talons, and laser focus. They are the Tsingis equivalent of Loremasters, as the must remember what they are writing and where in order to etch the correct symbols and designs. Their work is intricate and expensive. To destroy someone’s Glyphshaw is enough to bring down the ire of any Tsingis clan member. Damage of a public Glyphshaw —such as the Lorelines which tell the story of Heartstone Hollow’s birth— is considered a crime punishable by a minimum of 50-100 years hard labor. Damage of private Glyphshaws is not punished quite as severely by the Heartstone Hollow Council, but the owner of the Glyphshaw is entitled to decide the offender’s punishment: be it 50 years hard labor or by paying how much the Glyphshaw initially cost when it was first made, with the age of the Glyphshaw adding to the price.
Such heavy punishments has resulted in larger trolls being wary of entering the Hollows (for fear of being made to pay recompense for any damaged Glyphshaws) and the emerging art of “lacquering”. In recent years, Lacqsheers (Tsingis lacquerers) or Resineers (other troll lacquerers) have come into popularity with their ability to preserve not only works of Hornshaw, but works of Glyphshaw too. However, it is a dangerous business as improper lacquering could damage and destroy a Glyphshaw and land the Lacqshaw in very deep trouble. As such, there are very few trusted Lacqushaws and fewer Tsingis willing to lacquer their beloved Glyphshaws.
Lampshaw
Of all the shawing skills, Lampshaw is actually the most common and varied. It is an artform that can done by anyone willing to learn the skill. Each Lampsheer has a personal style and creates their works using clay, stone, minerals, crystals, and other available materials. The most popular contain bright crystals specially cut to give the best, brightest, and most vibrant kind of light it possesses. These lamps are most popular in both Tsingis and Bazaar homes and places of business.
Especially skilled Lampsheers can create changing lamps that can work like puzzles for those seeking a little more than a mere light source. In fact, some have been used to tell stories, light tunnels, send messages, or even to hide secrets of their makers or commissioners. Lampshaw puzzles are a fun addition to any home or place of business and have become a favorite means of scholars to test their students’ knowledge, wit, and cleverness.
Tools
Like any art, specialized tools are often used to make the finest work a Stownsheer can imagine, all beginning with their very own claws. All Tsingis have strong, razor sharp talons that can cut through most materials softer than stone. Though they are normally used for making climbable grooves in stone, Tsingis claws are also very adept at carving, etching, and engraving. However, over the years, many improving tools such as Claw-tips have been made to make certain techniques easier and others possible. Some have wider claw-tips for digging, flatter claw tips for smoothing, and thinner claw tips for fine etching. Like the heads of fountain pens, all of these claw-tips can be used to make exquisite works of art such as the fine examples seen above in the Heartstone Bazaar and Hollows in Madagascar.
