Narayan

Narayan

Author	Atrus
Connections	J'nanin Tomahna (Earth)

Narayan was an Age written by Atrus as part of his efforts to teach his sons Sirrus and Achenar the Art. It was the culmination of the lesson plan, and showcased how civilizations could bring stability and balance to an Age.

Narayan's lesson phrase was balanced systems stimulate civilization.

Appearance

Narayan was home to a small civilization which lived in carefully-tended lattice trees in the clouds above a vast ocean. These trees were formed by grafting large, buoyant spores into the tree's branches, providing the Narayani people with homes while also keeping their home aloft.

Atrus protected the link-in location for the Age with a complex "gateway" station, in order to ensure that his sons had learned the necessary lessons from the other Ages in his course. Using crystals collected from Amateria, he constructed a massive, spherical water shield around one of the floating lattice trees by taking advantage of the peculiar resonant properties of the Age's high-humidity air. The solution to this last test of preparedness was a culmination of the simple mantras he had reinforced in his earlier teachings, including a final combination that relied on Sirrus and Achenar understanding everything they had been taught up to that point as a singular whole. Once this test was completed, the large outer shield of the gateway station would be lowered, making it possible for Sirrus and Achenar to ride a cable car gondola to the Narayani city.

History

A Narayan linking book.

Atrus first arrived on Narayan some time before completing his "lesson Age" plan for Sirrus and Achenar. While he was there, he befriended a man named Saavedro, and learned a great deal about the Narayani culture during his stay. Sirrus and Achenar also eventually completed their lessons and came to Narayan, where they too befriended Saavedro. During their later visits, however, they claimed that Atrus had written the Age so as to enslave the Narayani to the lattice trees, creating a life of arduous work for the natives that they need not endure any longer. They promised to re-write Narayan to free the people there from their time-honored traditions and pave the way to a care-free lifestyle. All of these claims were, of course, lies; Sirrus and Achenar were not skilled enough in the Art to make such changes. Still, many of the younger Narayani believed them, and soon an all-out civil war had begun between those who followed the traditions of their people and those who wanted to be free of them. Sirrus and Achenar used this opportunity to abscond with a number of Narayani valuables before abandoning the Age for good.

Saavedro pursued Sirrus and Achenar to the Age of J'nanin when they left, only to become trapped there by the brothers. Years later, once he was finally able to return to Narayan, Saavedro feared his family and his people were lost forever, as the dim shapes visible through the ice shield of the gateway station revealed only the collapsed husk of the lattice tree city he had once called home. His efforts to lower the outer shield were ultimately in vain; while he was able to apply the mantra solutions given in the other lesson Ages to solving the inner ice shield's combination lock, he was never able to uncover the final mantra.

When Saavedro stole the Releeshahn Book from Atrus to goad him into "fixing" Narayan, the Stranger was able to follow him, and ultimately recover the Book and reveal to Saavedro that his world had not been destroyed. The Narayani had built a new lattice tree, and Saavedro was at last able to rejoin his family.