#shifttok

sights of fenlark

Fenlark's higher settlement makes the weather here a little chillier than the rest of Lunaeria, but in summer, the air feels fresh and balmy. Within the many shaded regions around Fenlark, drooping bulbed flowers are harvested for their dew. The flowers themselves are always left intact during this process, but dew is gently tapped out into a large petal swaddle.

Crops naturally grow around Fenlark, but unlike humans, fairies never mass-plant them to grow extra food. Instead, these crops are maintained, along with their numbers, throughout the hills.

It isn't all grassland; shallow creeks dot Fenlark's small woodlands. Clothing and other items may be washed here. It's best not to play in the rapid parts of the creek-- waterfalls may splash water on the wings and make it hard for a fairy to make it back to land.

Kids love to play hide among the soft, breezy grasses, but fairies unused to the bighorn sheep may not want to venture too far into these parts.

the folk

...who are the valley fae?

Fenlark fae are early-rising cottage fairies who spend a LOT of time tending to animals. Mice and goats allow the Lark fae to have an abundance of milk, cheeses, butters, yogurts, and creams. The valley area is very well known for its buttery, rich cuisine.

common appearance

Many Fenlark fae sport pale skin, freckles, tall noses, brown, blonde, or dark red hair. Petal hair is a rarity in these parts of the valley. Hair is often cut short at the shoulders for both men and women, but many Larks possess longer cuts. Oftentimes, hair is fashioned in crown braids, pig-tail braids, a single braid, or braided pig-tail buns. Most women wear lace bandanas over their hair as well. Larks also tend to have slightly wavier hair.

Because of the heavy labor and robust diet, Lark fae tend to be quite lean and tall, and older fae like to settle here for a season or so for its healthy lifestyle.

Eyes are commonly brown, green, and hazel, while lips tend to be of a medium pout and size. Oval or heart face types are more common than others. There isn’t a strong trend for eye shapes, but many Larks possess slightly upturned noses. Moth wings are by far the most seen wing type in Fenlark, though it’s not terribly rare to see a beetle-winged Lark around.

hair colors

hairstyles

facial features

common clothing

Fenlark fae wear more practical clothing, so leaf bandanas and loose but not too drapey garments are popular here. Trends from Seraglen and the Alcove aren’t paid much mind, though sometimes they do stick as long as they aren’t too intrusive, like flower accessories!

Leaves and lily of the valley flowers are by far the most common materials used for Lark clothing! While many fae still wear dresses, pants are preferred for more nimble jobs.

specialized occupations

VALLEY TENDER

These fae tend to the goats and bighorn rams here in the valley. They also ensure they don’t stray too close to Fenlark’s ground cities to avoid the animals trampling their homes. Do note that these breeds specifically are of a smaller variety in Lunaeria ONLY. They trim their fur and feed these creatures as well!

FOURNIER

Also known as the Master Bakers, these fairies operate the village’s ovens and distribute bread to the village’s doorsteps 2-3 times a week. Side note, but bread is also another huge Lark export! The Alcove LOVES Lark bread!

DEW COLLECTORS

Dew collectors harvest dew every morning, night, evening, dawn, or dusk— there are shifts, so not every dew collector is going to collect dew at all these times. If dew needs to be harvested, these fae will say they’re due for a ‘dew collection’.

WOOL SPINNERS

These fae made thread from goats to make cloth and thread! Their products sell especially well in the winter.

animals specific to the valley

I wont be able to add images for all animals bc of tumblr's image limit, sorry!

goats

Goats are about the size of pygmy goats in our reality! They’re anywhere from 16-23 inches (1-2 ft). Lark goats provide ample amounts of milk and wool to Lunaeria. Lark goats provide ample amounts of milk and wool to Lunaeria

Did you know items made with goat wool are rather expensive? Goat wool is thicker, a bit rougher, warmer, and more durable than moth silk. They’re great for carpets and cloaks!

mice

Mice here tend to have curly fur— but some do sport straight, thick coats! Curly furred mice actually originated here too, called “fenfurred mice”, which is why there are so many of them here! Their fur tends to consist of natural colors, like grey, black, brown, white, and beige are most common here. This does not mean that mice are ONLY available in Fenlark— but just note that they are especially common here, and used for their milk and coziness! Colorful mice are more often seen in the Alcove and Seraglen!

bighorn sheep

Bighorn sheep are used to ward off predators. It’s said that bighorn sheep have made an unspoken pact with the Larks, so they’re especially tame with the valley fae. Do note that non-lark fairies should NOT stray too close to bighorn sheep— they’re uncomfortable with fairies they’re not familiar with.

fallow deer

Fallow deer are generally not herded or domesticated by fairies, but they are quite curious and friendly! If you come here, you’ll definitely be gently troubled by one— you may find a damp nose nudge you into a small patch of clovers.

bunnies

Bunnies! Bunnies are common mounts among children, but note that not ALL bunnies are welcome to fae riding them! If you’d like to ride a bunny, steer clear of the nibbly ones. Bunny fur cannot be used to make large pieces of clothing or blankets, so it’s rare to find their fur used for this reason— but shed bunny fur is often used in nests in the wintertime!

cottpups

Cottpups are boisterous little creatures— some fae call them pests, others call them ‘puppies’, but regardless, cottpups are attracted to the smell of dew. It’s not a rare sight to see a few of these creatures sucking up droplets of dew, especially in the morning, and getting stuck in lily-of-the-valley bulbs.

childhood

The typical Lark childhood consists of crop or animal tending. Most children are quite scared of the larger animals, like the goats and sheep, so young Larks are eased into their presence in small groups. Kids, if interested, are taught to loom wool— but whether they like it or not, they’re also taught how to handle rambunctious bunnies.

Animals, of course, are a huge part of a Lark’s life, but so is farming! Fenlark fae learn how to tend to plants, check the soil for general wellness, and are heavily discouraged from leeching the very dirt sustaining them dry. Kids are spooked by drought and famine stories told by elders— so the Larks take their lands very seriously.

All the crops in Fenlark are naturally occurring, so sometimes kids will challenge each other on how many crops they can find, though sometimes they run into a large herd of bighorn sheep and spook them a little too much— in this case, please call an adult Lark!

Adult Larks also like to challenge the kids on ‘who can forage the most grain’ to secretly make them help out with the harvest! Little tricks like this are played upon kids often, so they see the gathering and tending as something fun rather than a chore.

traditions

DEW VALLEY SPIRE —

fairies dance in a circle around a ceremonial bush

food scraps are fed to the bush before the dance

fairies are dressed in lily-of-the-valley made clothing for this dance

this holiday celebrates mid-spring since this is when dew is most abundant in the valley

BIRTHDAYS —

larks are considered adults a bit younger in the valley at 19

larks are heavily encouraged to travel to another part of the valley within a week of their birthday, and are expected home by the next season

birthdays are celebrated with lilac honeysuckle cream danishes

what's up with DEW?

Dew is THE hottest commodity in Fenlark. There are four kinds of dew: dawn, morning, evening, dusk, and midnight.

dawn dew

Dawn is by far the most popular dew among fairies, and it primarily comes out of lily of the valley flowers at, of course, dawn. The water collected at this time is slightly pink-tinted, and dew’s natural, sweet, slightly peachy flavor peaks at this time of day.

Some flowers cause the water to be slightly carbonated, though with more processing, the carbonation can be stronger— like sparkling water!

morning dew

Morning dew is a lot less pink and sweet than dawn dew. It doesn’t have much of a taste, and has the blandest flavor profile out of all the other dew types.

Morning dew is best drunk with a heavy or a very savory meal, and while it’s not the most showy type, it isn’t necessarily disliked.

Many fae like the simple taste since it doesn’t interfere with their meal’s flavor.

evening dew

True evening dew has a concentrated orange-yellow tint. It has a slightly sour taste, like that of lemons and raspberries, and it’s widely loved in fruity drinks.

It feels softer on the tongue than morning dew, and it’s also the most abundant dew type collected in an average day.

dusk dew

Dusk dew is very much a favorite among fae in summer, and it pairs well with cream cakes and sour fruits!

This kind of dew takes on a deep, fuchsia tinge and tastes a bit like dragon fruit and mango. It’s best chilled with ice or as a popsicle.

midnight dew

Midnight dew is found throughout the night, but the strongest concentrations are found at midnight.

This dew type takes on a blue-purple tone and has a cool, crisp taste. It has a subtle blackberry-lavender flavor, though it does leave the mouth a little dry. Midnight dew is preferred amongst older fae, though it’s starting to become more trendy for younger noble fae.

Midnight dew isn’t easy to buy since most fairies are asleep before the dew is its ripest— but, moth fenlark fae are common vendors of midnight dew, if you spot a moth fae selling dew at night, I’d definitely snatch a carton before someone else does!

commonly grown crops

A lot of the crops found here wouldn’t actually be the selectively bred versions you see on human farms, but rather the smaller, wild versions, such as wild garlic, onion, turnip, and carrots. However, to fairies, they all taste the same! The Larks wouldn’t introduce new crops; they would just maintain the pre-existing crops in the valley.

fairy potatoes

carrots

beets

baby turnips

spinach

baby onion

baby radish

baby garlic

suncrisp tomatoes

cannellini beans

lark mound mushrooms

mini chickpeas

blackberries

raspberries

blueberries

huckleberries

gooseberries

corn (fairy corn)

buckwheat

barley

cassava

borlotti beans

chaengre oyster mushrooms

rhubarb

animal food items:

goat milk

cheeses

berry cheeses

whey

ricotta

butter

mice milk

yogurts

kefir

cream cheese

paneer

goat/mice buttermilk

common dishes

breakfast

lunch/dinner

snacks

desserts

drinks

conclusion

SIDE NOTE but I'm glad I was able to implement cottpups in a dr as whimsical as this one!! I've had this simple idea in my head for awhile, but I didn't think they fit in any dr ive scripted as much as this one!

keep in mind that some of the information in these posts are subject to add-ons, change, and some tweaking. There are dozens more reference images, but they're not pictured here bc of Tumblr's restrictions!