Eddling: The Sharigg of Gouli-Fen

Transit

Gouli-Fen is one of the more difficult places to reach in Eddling, largely because of the regions’ steadfast resistance to infrastructure. Tourists would do best to find a train or bus to nearby Proosh, and then charter a carriage to Kch’lori’s Rest, a small outpost on the edge of Gouli-Fen. There, you will be able to find guides, carts, and Murkmuckers who will be willing to ferry you throughout the region.

Please beware! The locals know the region far better than any foreigner; it may be alluring to hike out into the wild to travel between some of the closer towns, but this is an incredibly risky choice to make. Even when paths are well signed and supported by wooden planks or even stone bridges, the swamps of Gouli-Fen are harsh and unforgiving to novices. Even people who have lived most of their lives in the swamps can fall prey to the shifting bogs.

The Place

For those who find beauty in untainted wilderness, or can appreciate the more visceral sides of nature, Gouli-Fen is a treasure trove of wonder. Containing some of the most verdant swamps in the world, Gouli-Fen is a biological marvel, containing over ten-thousand unique species of plant, insect, fungus, and amphibious life. Almost two-hundred drugs and medical treatments have been discovered thanks to the Gouli-Fen’s unique biodiversity, and some of the world’s most expensive and highly sought-after spices, perfumes, and exotic luxuries are unique to the region.

There have been many attempts to explain the isolated nature of this diversity, ranging from the region’s higher-than-usual water table to a narrowly adaptive climate, but as of yet, no single explanation has been accepted.

As mentioned earlier, the region is largely untamable. Attempts to pave roads, modernize infrastructure, or even stabilizing the bogs have all failed. The footpaths that line the solid ground in the swamps are naturally made by the local fauna looking for safe places to drink. You may find some paths that are better kept than others, and maybe even a makeshift bridge of some sort; this is a sure sign that a Sharigg lives nearby.

The Sharigg are a marvelous breed of folk, standing a good twice as tall as your average person. They are thick of body and long of hair, though the men spout no beards on their faces. Culturally, the Sharigg wear little in the way of clothing, though several Sharigg that live in the shallower parts of the swamps have accommodated for visitors. Be aware that if you seek out those who live deeper in the swamps, they will likely be naked.

Called “the peaceful ones” in the local language, the Sharigg have lived in Gouli-Fen for centuries. Their history-songs reach at least seven-hundred years into the past, and there are Sharigg today who profess to remember when the first folk colonized the Old Kingdom. Rarely seen in groups of more than three, the Sharigg are largely solitary beings with little concern for, as they call us, “the young folk.”

This is not to say the Sharigg are not gracious hosts. If you manage to find a guide who knows the locals well, you may find yourself invited to a dinner or light supper. Whether you accept or not will largely depend on your dietary concerns and overall squeamishness with eating insects. Marsh grubs and Stack-beetles are a staple of the Sharigg diet, though vegetarianism is practiced by many. Stewed leaves from the Kuaka tree and heart-roots are the mainstay ingredients, as well as slivers of varkas bark and a wide variety of seeds and nuts.

Under no circumstances should you agree to sample your host’s Lopsha, as the drink is made from a fermentation of Rhimstone deposits and marshviper venom, and likely contains a dangerous amount of mercury. Asking for tea, on the other hand, is largely safe, though be aware that Fikka-leaf tea has a high alcohol content.

Sharigg are wanderers, willing and capable of traveling several miles every day. They carry what few possessions they care to on their backs, and largely scavenge or cobble together anything they may need in the moment. Sharigg are – by necessity — naturalists, capable of discerning dangerous or useful plants at a glance. They have no natural predators, as what animal could endanger them?

Some Sharigg “settle down” at some point, building a humble hut or shelter. They will return to this home regularly, though the time may vary from months to years. If you meet a Sharigg while visiting Gouli-Fen, it is likely a settled Sharigg. Even when settled, the Sharigg wander their land with a steady abandon, and meeting a settled Sharigg is hardly a certainty.

Shariggs are avid storytellers, able and willing to wile away hours of the day sharing stories and weaving tales. They make little distinction between fiction and non-fiction, rationalizing that all forms of storytelling is a mixture of both. They instead differentiate between ’tells’ and ‘stories.’ Tells are generally short tales, akin to what one might tell an old friend when they ask “what’s new?” Tells are most likely what you are telling anytime you are not expressly asked to tell a story by a Sharigg, and there are not many social expectations surrounding them.

Stories, on the other hand, are sub-divided into two different ‘kinds’ of story-telling. While neither has a satisfactory translation, the generally accepted terms are “Tale-Weaving” and “Tale-Singing.”

Tale-Weaving

Called ‘shook-shook’ in the Sharigg language, Tale-weaving is a specific kind of telling a tale that involves everyone listening in a fascinating manor. While it could be likened to a kind of narrative improvisation, the cultural implications of Tale-weaving are fascinating and regularly studied.

Shook-shooking involves one person starting to tell a tale about something that purportedly happened to them. The occurrence must be relatively recent — say, within a year — and involve no-one who is listening.

After the person telling the tale has spoken for a time, any listener may take part in the ‘shook-shook’ by saying “Ah, yes, I was there, I remember now,” and adding their own piece to the story. Their part need not be true, nor salient, but it must incorporate at least one fact that the teller has already established.

The teller than continues their tale, incorporating the additions or not, until another audience member interrupts, and so on.

Tale-Singing

Called ‘ohshiohbo’ in the Sharigg language, Tale-Singing is the more common form of storytelling in their culture. Tale-Singing is how the history-songs are told, how news is shared, and is sometimes even performed when there is no one else around.

Tale-Singing is a mix of most every performative artistic discipline you care to name. The teller will alternately speak, sing, or chant the words to their story, while mixing in dance, theatrical performance, and simple instrumentation as they see fit. The singing can be melodic, atonal, rhythmic, or languid. The words can be poetic, simple or complex prose, lyrical, or even avoid describable words. To hear a Tale-song is to be subjected to several different mediums at once, and it can be quite overwhelming to the inexperienced.

The individual tales themselves are sometimes known only to one Sharigg, other times shared among all. Some tales are sung exactly the same, no matter who sings them, while others change depending on the singer. The Sharigg themselves are quite aware which tales are which, but they have yet to coherently explain.

The Humba

Humba is the Sharigg philosophy and culture wrapped up in a single concept. Shariggs are known to want for nothing. They have no fears, few desires, and are largely a people with little ambition. They live from moment to moment, wandering as their whims take them.

Philosophically, each Sharigg views themself as a kind of fulcrum around which the universe rotates. This is not meant in a megalomaniacal way; most Sharigg see their place in the world as caretakers or observers. While they are generous as a rule, the Sharigg are known for being largely unconcerned with matters further away than the next bog over. It is a kind of Daoist philosophy, claiming that Sharigg share the same role as the winds and rains; never caring much for tomorrow in favor of focusing on today.

This is likely due to a strange aspect of the Sharigg people; their functional immortality.

Death in Sharigg culture is largely unknown. They recognize death when they see it, but they themselves do not experience death as we do. When a Sharigg gets old, they slow down, spending more time at peace, either sitting, sleeping, or letting their mind wander as it will. Eventually, when they become old enough, they fail to return from their peace, instead becoming a piece of the landscape. Unlike the more metaphorical trolls and goblins of most mythologies, they do not turn into a stone nor a tree, instead staying unchanged in their repose until the dirt, mud, water, and grasses of Gouli-Fen cover them. What happens next is unknown, though the Sharigg say their lives and deaths are “a closed circle.” Many poets and sociologists have spent their whole careers trying to understand what they mean by this.

Accommodations

If you are planning on visiting the Sharigg, I have found the Bubble and Twing Inn, just outside of Liremurk, to be a wonderful place to stay. One of the best inns in Gouli-Fen, the Bubble and Twig is impressively dry and comfortable, considering its surroundings.

The proprietor, one Ms. Toonip n’Lace, is a jovial and matronly sort. She is on good terms with most everyone in Gouli-Fen, and knows the area well. If you ever find yourself uncertain of where to go, Ms. n’Lace will be more than willing to provide you directions.

If you are, for one reason or another, unwilling to find accommodations in the swampier areas of Gouli-Fen, you would do well to consider the Sunset Palace, near the center of Woontsfigg. The Sunset Palace is luxurious as hotels go, and while you will be paying a premium, I found it well worth the cost. Dinner is served daily, and the hotel offers laundry services as well.

Things to Do

Naturally, meeting and spending time with any Shariggs you manage to find can take as much or as little time as you care to spend. Most any Sharigg will delight in sharing stories of all kinds, and are well versed at preparing simple yet tasty meals for their guests.

If you have the time, consider asking a Sharigg to help you make a “Lopti.” Lopti are combination charms and gifts. They are made from swamp-mud, animal bones, vines, and various other items that an explorer might find in the swamps.

Properly made Lopti are powerful good-luck charms, capable of warding off demons and filling empty lard-barrels. Their power is not accessible by the maker, however; if you keep a Lopti you have made, it will become useless at best, an ill-luck charm at worst.

If, however, you give your Lopti to the person you feel needs it the most, its power will return to you as well, providing good luck for both you and the person you gave it to.

Making a Lopti is a long process, involving telling different stories, letting the mud dry in the sun, and a possibly even hunting for the materials if your Sharigg is a traditionalist.

You may also ask about the local swamps to learn a great deal about plants, insects, and fungi. Shariggs are natural teachers, and delight in providing useful information to anyone who asks for it.

There are, of course, activities other than visiting with the Shariggs to occupy your time: Hunting is unregulated in Gouli-Fen, as is fishing, though there are fewer fishable ponds and lakes than there are suitable hunting spots.

Lovers of a good hike will find lots to entertain them, though bringing a guide is vital for your safety. Several paths wind through the swamps and bogs that lead to beautiful misty vistas and hazy plains. A wide variety of rare birds make their nests in Gouli-Fen, and several exotic animals are known to frequent the swamps, such as the Great Cambyan and the Crested Wallower.

Under no circumstances should you go out into the swamps at night. Darkness falls quickly in Gouli-Fen, and while there are few dangers among the flora and fauna, hundreds of foolish travelers have met their end in the bog by starlight.