Residents of Cordhan
Gil Potter
Raised as part of the respected Potters’ Guild, Gil was expected to start his training as soon as he could walk. But as he grew, he proved to be a sickly child, whose illness was a perpetual source of worry and gossip throughout the village. When he was first led to his mentor’s tiny workshop, he had a coughing fit that left him bedridden for a day. His mentor never brought him back and his lessons shifted into the abstract and the simple. But despite whispers about the old potter’s coddling, Gil was happy.
Eventually Gil grew into a curious boy with a love for fairy tales and bug catching, and absolutely no skill in pottery. But the holding pattern of life in the marsh could not last. Poor finances forced the guild chapter to close and the pair relocated to Port Anura for work. His mentor grew busy under the endless work and his hobbies felt impossible to enjoy in the sweltering city. Gil spent more and more time inside, more time in his hammock and more time sleeping. But despite that discomfort and desire for more, he remained at home, until one day he couldn’t.
Carex
Carex was born in a scouting outpost on the western coast of Cordhan. Originally intended to be a temporary structure only meant to last a couple years, the outpost lasted for nearly three decades, occupied by a skeleton crew of researchers, a handful of aimless wanderers, and a couple misplaced larvae. While most bugkin are raised communally, she grew up as the only child in the outpost, with education mostly done through online testing.
When she became an adult, she was authorized her own mech which swiftly became her home. Over the years she considered a variety of occupations and art, but never settled on anything long enough to learn. As she drifted through her 20s and the outpost deteriorated, she knew she’d have to leave eventually. Her neighbors left one by one, and warnings came more and more often to her inbox. But day after day, she remained, until one day she couldn’t.
Al Potter
potter of considerable age and modest skill, Al has always been able to tell what the future holds. When he came of age he joined his mentor in the workshop just as expected, and when his mentor died he took over the tiny workshop, just as expected. When he was given Gil to raise he expected the child to follow in his footsteps like he had to his mentor, in the ceaseless cycle the myths promised.
But as months and milestones passed, as his child failed to grow into the mold of a potter, he found himself fearful. His child may be cheerful and clever, but Gil cannot fulfill the role placed for him. As the uncertain future looms, Al starts to fear the future in a way he’s never before. It promises to get worse.
To return to the Cordhan index, click here.
To return to the homepage, click here.