Kylon's islands

The Islands of Kailon. In ancient times, the Sky Serpent named Kailon once descended to earth. He encountered a wondrous world of tall flowers, blossoming trees, and tiny winged creatures. He loved to slumber in these lands, and the locals loved him. But when he descended upon these lands, they inflicted a deep wound on the Mother Tree. Kailon, enraged at the humans, tore these lands away with his paws and lifted them into the air. They are invisible among the thick clouds, hidden from prying eyes. Above the islands, curled in a cradle of stars, the serpent sheds tears onto the Mother Tree, watching over its tiny friends.

The Islands. Four flourishing patches of land, connected by starry corridors. Their grasses and berries never fade, even in winter, resilient plants sprout, and the leaves never wither, falling only at the will of the serpent. Clouds, woven into a web of constellations, settle thickly beneath the islands. Azure rivers flow from the islands, dissolving into new clouds. Each island is securely entwined with the roots of the Mother Tree, preventing them from floating away or collapsing. Hunting is unknown on the islands. Lakonoi Island is full of lush, tall flowers, butterflies, and birds. Manomaru Island is the island of the Mother Tree. Its roots are densely intertwined, trees, and healing herbs grow there. It is the center of life for all the islands. Kantomore Island is filled with tall trees of various colors, hollows, small animals, and tall grass. The fourth is Rakinar—an island of fruit trees, bushes, and large animals. Year, day, and night flow smoothly here. At night you can see the starry cradle in all its glory.

The Mother Tree. A huge tree, its crown resting on the cradle. On the Mother's trunk is a deep axe wound, from which flows a thick, scarlet sap. According to legend, it was this sap that brought all the pain and horror to the human world. On the Day of Great Sorrow, everyone gathers to wash the wound with water from the rivers. The Mother is entwined with a ladder of mushrooms leading to the Hall of New Life, the baskets of the Ophiuchus, the burrows of the guardians of life, and the Hall of Final Rest. No one created them; the Mother herself gave them to her children. Her branches and leaves are always open to them. For those unable to fly, she extends her branches. All the festivities are held in the upper interweaving; there is enough space there to accommodate all the inhabitants, even the serpent. From the upper interweaving flows a delicate green sap, in which new Nomi are born. It flows into a bowl in the Hall of New Life, then flows downwards, merging with the rivers. The serpent's tears flow down the intertwined leaves and branches. Mixing with the tree's power, they become a single stream of shimmering blue, tiny stars that grant Nomi wings and the power of flight. This is precisely what the tree lost due to its wound, and now cannot give wings to children itself.

The Star Corridors are paths made of the celestial web, soft and impervious to weather and wind. They weave beneath the tree's roots, creating a convenient crossing for the inhabitants. The locals make tools from what the islands provide: branches, leaves, crystals, stones, parts of plants and fruits. Only the Mother Tree is forbidden to touch; it is sacred to all.

Nomi. Creatures barely larger than a serpent's claw. They are born absolutely white, like a clean leaf, wrapped in the young leaves of a tree. They do not yet have wings; the parents must lift the child into the stream for the wings to appear. All Nomi have three pairs of wings: a large upper pair, a small lower pair at the waist, and a smallest one above the lower pair, descending to the tailbone. Each Nomi has a thin, transparent tail with a droplet at the end; the droplet changes shade of green depending on its mood, from almost white in calm to pine green in anger. When the mother decides the Nomi are a match, the droplet fills with dark blue, and the tail becomes entwined with a web of constellations. With the emergence of wings, one can accurately predict the fate of the newborn. The wings of the Lakonoi Nomi resemble butterflies or flower petals, bright and colorful. Nomi Manomaru's wings are transparent, with a green-blue tint, thin as a web, resembling droplets, with the narrow part facing outward. Future guardians of life have shorter, sharper wings, and also develop a fourth pair on their necks. Nomi Kantomora's wings resemble a tangle of leaves and needles, with jagged edges. Nomi Rakinara's wings are white with multicolored spots. Nomi's wings are resistant to rain and wind, but are still vulnerable to cold. Nomi develop their colors over the course of their lives. Skin color depends on their lifestyle, the eye color of one parent, and the hair color of the other. Children are called snowflakes or moths for obvious reasons. Adolescents are called dawns for their incomplete coloring, and only adult Nomi are simply Nomi. They live for centuries and grow slowly. This is what their mother wants. Nomi have long, drooping ears, transparent at the tips, as if made of glass. Females have antennae like a tail on their heads, while males have antennae behind their ears. Their hair only reaches their shoulders. They look human, but that's just it. Nomi has four arms instead of two, and her feet are like cat paws.

Marriage, children, elders. The mother watches her children closely. Sometimes, even if the Nomi are confident they can start a family, the mother doesn't give the signal. She knows they won't be able to live happily. When the mother gives the signal, the Nomi come to her roots, and she leads them to their new home. Usually, this is one of the couple's islands, or another one that will be more comfortable for them. Married Nomi have their tails glowing identically next to each other, as if sharing a common mood. For a mother, gender plays little role. If a couple trusts each other enough to intertwine their tails, wings, and bodies, then the mother can give them a child. Always one at a time and only at the right time. Parents sense their child, so they cannot confuse them. The elders' wings become small and their hair grows long. When the mother calls them to their final resting place, they intertwine their tails with the rest of the family and depart. The mother transforms Nomi into a flock of glittering butterflies, which soon disappear.

The houses are located on the tree's roots, trees, sturdy bushes, and mossy hills. Only the serpent-bearers, responsible for the islands and guardians of life, live on the tree itself. There are two types of houses: family houses and communal houses. Family houses are where Nomi live with their entire families; from the outside, they resemble twisted towers with several floors. They have many rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a washroom. Communal houses are where single Nomi live. They no longer belong in their parents' home, but they don't yet have a soulmate. They have only a bedroom and a study area, a communal kitchen/dining room, and a washroom. The communal houses are overseen by elders—a married couple appointed by the mother to raise this generation, not her own children. At the roots of the Mother Tree are workshops, a library, and halls of knowledge. There's a separate hall for moths, and a separate hall for dawns. Lectures are held for adults, the schedule of which can be found at the library entrance. There are workshops on other islands as well. The mother tree lights up the houses with the veins on its bark, which fade with the onset of night.

Ophiuchus and the Guardians of Life are betrothed from birth. Ophiuchi are not Nomi. They are certainly similar, but distinct. They have claws on their feet, scales on their backs, and no wings. Their tail is thin and fluffy, not transparent, they have pointed ears and long hair. They are colored the colors of the sky, in their various states. They are called upon to maintain order on the islands, and accordingly, there are four of them. They do not live in dormitories, but in houses woven from leaves by their mother herself. Because of their shape, they are nicknamed "baskets." Guardians of life, they are also healers. Nomi called to heal others. They live inside the mother. It's not without reason that they are considered betrothed from birth. When Kailon places his scale on the upper interweaving, a life guardian appears in the hall of new life. When the mother decides they are ready for each other, she transfers them both to the roots. It is here that the couple must intertwine to create a new pair. The new life guardian is the natural child of the two guardians, albeit without the traits of Ophiuchus. Ophiuchuses are capable of flight, but they do not need wings.

The breeding chamber is a rather small, warm, and quiet burrow. The floor is covered with fur and moss, the burrow itself woven from the mother's roots and the fur from the snake's tail. If the couple needs time, the mother will provide them with food and water until they fulfill their sacred duty.