The Ruon Chronicles - How the Ruon are Taught Their Craft & Flash Fiction
Or, worldbuilding a school system for learning magic in Airtha-Eyrassa
Hello again, Fellow Adventurer!
I do hope that you are keeping well and safe! Today I share some notes on how the Ruon are taught their crafts. Attitudes towards needlework and crafts of different types are viewed differently in the countries of Airtha-Eyrassa, but I haven’t included this as I think that list will be exceedingly boring if not accompanied by a story. Talk about exposition!
Girls, however, are often taught earlier than boys to do more than just basic needlework (i.e. simple mending of clothes and making of clothes.
Early schooling
Schooling in the Ruon crafts usually starts at home/in the home town/city by another Ruon around age 7 or 8 or as soon as their Nith becomes apparent.
It should be noted that learning sewing, knitting, crochet, etc. are started around the age of 4 or 5 for most girls as part of their everyday learning. However, in most countries all the children are tested to see if they have one of the different kinds of Talents or Nith.
The most promising of the Ruon are sent to the Sanctuaries for further schooling around age 12 or 13. The most prestigious of these Ruon schools are Holt Haliern in the Midlands and Ameragh in the Southern Lands.
Deciding on a craft specialisation
- All crafts are taught to a more or lesser degree to the younger Ruon before a specialization is chosen at about the age of 16/17
- It's seldom that more than one specialisation is chosen. If this is the case, it'll usually be embroidery and one of the other crafts that takes longer to complete.
- Tapestry-makers, however, only work on tapestries as their work needs to use so much Nith at a constant rate.
Schooling at Holt Haliern or one of the other Sanctuaries
Schooling at Holt Haliern usually starts at the age of 12 or 13.
The best of the Senior Ruon are often chosen to be tutors to the younger Ruon from age 16 onwards while they learn their specialisation to the full and their final exams. After their final exams, they can become teachers and not just be tutors.
The final exams of the Ruon are done to become a Master Ruon or Mistress Ruon. These Ruon can then go on to become teachers, Ruon Elders, Ruon Wislic, etc.
(It should be noted that the term Master Ruon or Mistress Ruon is seldom used except in very formal circumstances. Usually all Ruon are referred to simply as "Ruon".)
In other writing news
In other news, the radio drama, “Moet vergeet”, is coming along nicely, although I still need to do some work on the main characters before I’ll be happy with them.
But I am really enjoying writing this ghost story and trying to make it as creepy as possible. Mwahahaha!
Talking about creepy, here’s a flash piece – the prompt was the first sentence of the story.
Flash Fiction: Silence
I lived this in a nightmare, once. The most vivid thought I had was “what would get me first – the loneliness or the lack of oxygen”?
“This thing is now buggered beyond repair, you know that, Jack? Completely bust.”
Jack grinned at me slack-jawed from his seat at the console. The eerie silence, which I had woken up to, remained. No hum of electronics or engines soothed my nerves anymore. I tried following the breathing exercises a shrink taught me once as my heart hammered away in my chest. They didn’t work and my breaths became shallower and faster, my head dizzy and light. This was supposed to have been a normal cargo run between two planets. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to fear.
“Damn job!” I cussed. I was never any good at cussing. “I only took this stinking job to send money home, you know, Jack.” He did not answer and I did not blame him. I had told him and the other two crew members the story half a dozen times already. No one wanted to hear about the farm boy who sent money home to his sick parents and siblings. The Fever hit us hard, spared only me. Boohoo.
I strapped myself into my seat and looked out at the great expanse of space stretching out before us. I picked up the radio, tried to see if it would work. Hoping beyond hope. It was dead.
“Mayday,” I said. Jack grinned slack-jawed, his eyes closed. Bastard. Taking the easy way out. I ignored the blood at his temple.
“We’ve run into engine trouble. Nothing’s working. Oxygen levels low.” Bloody Mike and Daniel used the other two bullets. Tears blurred the darkness.
“I don’t know what’ll get me first, Jack. The loneliness or lack of oxygen.”
Until next time, stay safe!
Love,
Carin